Turn the Mic Back On for Zooey Zephyr

“I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands.” These words were spoken by Zooey Zephyr, a member of the Montana House of Representatives representing Missoula, on Tuesday, April 18. She spoke in response to Senate Bill 99, which would ban gender affirming care for minors if passed. The same day, the Montana Freedom Caucus, a coalition of 21 Montana lawmakers, issued a statement calling for the censure of Rep. Zephyr. A censure is a formal statement of disapproval, which can have serious repercussions for a lawmaker. However, these formal statements tend to only wound the validity and legitimacy of an individual. It is not just the words of a trans lawmaker that the Republican party refuses to hear. The Republican party is barring the discussion of the topic each time they remove the voices of both Zephyr and her supporters from the Capitol, clearly demonstrating the loss of democracy within Montana’s Legislature due to the Republican refusal to hear discourse and discussion on bills tangibly affecting its own citizens. 

 Currently, Zooey Zephyr represents the LQBTQIA+ community in Montana and has successfully brought attention to the anti-LGBTQIA+ bills in circulation in the state’s legislature. Zephyr’s presence in the room gives lawmakers a face to attach their rhetoric to. When both the voice of Zephyr and her supporters are silenced, there is a clear gap in the representation within the Montana Legislature for LGBTQIA+ individuals.  

        On Thursday, April 20, Zephyr entered into a chamber of decorum and democracy, finding that although she sat ready to speak, her voice was silenced. This democratically elected candidate representing a district of over ten thousand people was never given the ability to make her voice heard by the Speaker of the House.

The same day, the Montana Freedom Caucus issued another statement titled “The Montana Legislature Approves Freedom Caucus Advocated Censure of Transgender Representative Zephyr of Missoula.” This document contains several quotes by lawmakers supporting the censure but is by no means a formal confirmation of any legislative action against Zephyr. 

        The Vice Chair of the Freedom Caucus, Jerry Schillinger, commented on the document released on April 20, saying, “Today Speaker Regier took appropriate disciplinary action to uphold proper decorum and security on the House Floor.” Decorum is a word thrown around a lot by the Republican party currently, but they give no real definition of what it means. Typically, decorum refers to proper and polite behavior. Is it polite, as a mature adult, to misgender a fellow lawmaker in every piece of writing possible?

The censure asked Zephyr to have an unemotional view at the same time as the government body perpetuates and intensifies its trans hate.

The Republican response definitely did not follow the decorum they love talking about so much. Instead of grappling with the criticism and pushback, which occurred, they have decided to not listen. Ignoring a person's existence is exceptionally petty for mature adults. Within the capitol, a person represents thousands of others yet the Republican party is unable to look past their personal beliefs. From Fox News to a slew of posts talking about how gender affirming care should be equated to the mutilation and grooming of children is such a lovely stance for the future of Montana. As long as these lawmakers are still unable to treat each other with proper respect and decorum, then this cycle of hate will continue.

 A statement by the Montana American Indian Caucus (MAIC) was released on April 20 in support of Zephyr and it brings a bit of hope. The statement calls out the Freedom Caucus for “weaponizing religion and law to create a Montana aligned with their ideology.” In its statement the organization didn’t misgender a lawmaker or personally attack any marginalized community. 

It would seem that it is not that hard to follow proper decorum and human decency. The MAIC says that it is“representing a people that endured a long history” and in doing so they have become the allies of those beginning to suffer under the same fate. It is moving to hear this condemnation because at least someone is formally noticing the world which may lie ahead.

While this may be comforting, we still live in a world where seven protestors on April 25 were arrested for trespassing after protesting the silencing of Zephyr. While each of these protestors will likely not be charged with any serious crimes, the actions taken by the Capitol set a dangerous precedent for furthering the democratic representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Republican party silenced the people’s representatives and so citizen voices came to represent themselves. Now even the voices of the citizens cannot be heard. 

April 26, the Republican party voted to bar her from debating bills on the House floor and is only allowing her to vote remotely. 

The struggles that Zephyr is facing do not seem to be slowing down, but her strength and the support of her community is the only thing louder than these blatant injustices.