‘I’m Suing’: Montana Democrat Silenced by Republicans in Battle Over Transgender Health Care Files Lawsuit
Montana Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr announced Monday she is suing Republican state House Speaker Matt Regier for violating her First Amendment rights by banning her from speaking on the House floor after she criticized GOP lawmakers’ support of legislation that would restrict gender-affirming care. “I’m suing,” tweeted Rep.
Zephyr Monday. “The recent actions violate my 1st amendment rights, as well as the rights of my 11,000 constituents to representation.
Montana’s State House is the people’s House, not Speaker Regier’s, and I’m determined to defend the right of the people to have their voices heard.” The ACLU, which says it filed an emergency lawsuit, is representing Rep.
Zephyr in state district court, The Associated Press reports. “This effort by House leadership to silence me and my constituents is a disturbing and terrifying affront to democracy itself,” Zephyr said in an ACLU statement. “House leadership explicitly and directly targeted me and my district because I dared to give voice to the values and needs of transgender people like myself.
