In Oscar-Shortlisted ‘Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr,’ Montana Republicans Try To Silence Trans Legislator, But She Won’t Have It
Zooey Zephyr will not allow herself to be marginalized, no matter how hard some people try to make that happen. She won election to the Montana House of Representatives in 2022, becoming the first openly transgender person to serve in that legislative body.
But after Zephyr passionately spoke against anti-LGBTQ bills under consideration and criticized supporters of that legislation, the Republican-dominated House of Representatives moved to silence her.
Zephyr’s journey from duly elected lawmaker representing Missoula to pariah banned from the House floor, gallery and antechamber is told in the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr, streaming on The New Yorker website and on The New Yorker’s YouTube page.
It’s directed by Kimberly Reed, a Montana native and openly trans filmmaker whose credits include Prodigal Sons and Dark Money. “I’d watched as things heated up with Zooey, some of her early remarks [on the House floor], which led to her not being recognized to speak, which led to protests, which led to censure,” Reed tells Deadline. “So when all of that happens, there wasn’t frankly any way I could not make that film, is sort of how it felt.” The “Seat 31” of the title refers to Zephyr’s desk within the House chamber.
