Montana Democrats made history this week by selecting two trans lawmakers to lead the state House. Nonbinary state Rep. SJ Howell will be the House minority leader, and trans state Rep. Zooey Zephyr will be one of three party whips. According to trans journalist Erin Reed (who is also married to Zephyr), both will be the first out trans people in any state legislature to hold their respective roles.
Both legislators made history in 2023, when they became the first out trans person and first out nonbinary person to serve in the Montana legislature. Last year, they made waves across the country for delivering speeches so powerful against two anti-trans bills that they inspired enough Republicans to cross the aisle, vote against them, and kill the legislation.
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Zephyr also became a nationally recognized name during her first term after telling Republicans that they would have blood on their hands for supporting a bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors. Conservative lawmakers demanded that she be censured for “using inappropriate and uncalled-for language during a floor debate.” She was barred from speaking on the state house floor. Speaker Matt Regier (R) said he decided to bar Zephyr from speaking “to protect the dignity and integrity” of the chamber.
Republicans then voted to ban Zephyr from the state House floor in a 68-32 party-line vote. She was still allowed to vote remotely.
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And now she will be a leader in the state House. “We have an incredible leadership team, and are ready to get to work for Montana!” she wrote on social media after being elected Whip. Zephyr also congratulated Howell for being elected minority leader.
The historic moment in Montana comes after the GOP spent over $400 millionon anti-trans ads ahead of the midterms, only to be eviscerated in a blue tsunami that included the election of trans people around the country.
The midterms also resulted in what will become the most LGBTQ+ Congress in history. “In a historic rebuke, voters didn’t just reject LGBTQ+ hate; they have elected a historic number of LGBTQ+ elected officials,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said of the election results. “The message from LGBTQ+ voters could not be any clearer: Our rights are not up for debate, our community will not be a political punching bag, and we are not going anywhere.”
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