Montana lawmakers, including some Republicans, recently voted against a proposal that would have banned the state’s first transgender legislator, Rep. Zooey Zephyr, from using women’s restrooms at the State Capitol.
Zephyr, who was elected in 2022, thanked those who voted against the measure. She expressed gratitude for the lawmakers, especially Republicans, who saw the proposal as a distraction from their real duties.
The measure, introduced by Republican Rep. Jerry Schillinger, suggested that legislators should use restrooms based on the sex they were assigned at birth. While Zephyr was not specifically mentioned, the proposal would have directly affected her. Schillinger argued that such a rule was unnecessary but should still be in place.
Most Democrats and several Republicans voted against the proposal. Rep. David Bedey, another Republican, opposed it, saying that while he had personal views on gender issues, he believed the proposal would distract from the important work lawmakers were supposed to focus on.
This attempt to ban bathroom access for a transgender lawmaker follows national debates, such as one involving Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender woman elected to Congress. Some Republicans in Congress have proposed a similar bathroom ban, but it has not yet been voted on.
Rep. Jedediah Hinkle, a Republican who supported the Montana proposal, argued that it needed to be addressed because some women in both chambers felt uncomfortable sharing restrooms with transgender individuals.
In 2023, Zephyr was banned from the House chamber for criticizing Republicans over bills limiting transgender rights. She was re-elected in 2024.