'Stop these crazy bills': Republicans join Democrats to defeat anti-trans legislation in Montana
Source: The Guardian
Fri 7 Mar 2025 11.43 EST
Last modified on Fri 7 Mar 2025 12.10 EST
Republican lawmakers in Montana voted en masse to help defeat two extreme anti-trans bills in an unprecedented move on Thursday, after powerful speeches from two trans representatives imploring them to reject the latest intent to criminalize gender nonconformity. State representative Zooey Zephyr spoke out against a bill that sought to ban drag performances and Pride parades in Montana, introduced by a Republican member of of the house who has referred to transgenderism as a “fetish based on crossdressing”.
“At its very core, drag is art. It is very beautiful art. It has a deep history in this country, and it is important to my community,” said Zephyr. “I am here to stand before the body and say that my life is not a fetish. When I go to walk [my son] to school, that’s not a lascivious display. That is not a fetish. That is my family.”
State representative Caleb Hinkle introduced the bill after a previous drag ban was struck down by the courts, having been used to stop a Native American transgender woman from giving a history lecture at a library. The new bill would have granted private individuals the right to sue if a public drag show took place. In an unusual move, a Republican representative, Sherry Essmann, also spoke out against the bill.
“Trust the parents to do what’s right, and stop these crazy bills that are a waste of time. They’re a waste of energy. We should be working on property tax relief and not doing this sort of business on the floor of this house and having to even talk about this,” said Essmann. The bill was defeated by 55 to 44, after 13 Republicans flipped to support Democrats.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/07/montana-anti-trans-bills-defeated
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