Montana GOP lawmakers block their own Republican drag bill

Montana The House was rejected One of several anti-LGBTQ+ invoices on Thursday That would have allowed parents to sue Drag the performer They spread conservative states by dealing with unusual defeats in the troubling wave of law as they allegedly hurt children. This measure failed with 44-55 votes and several votes were made. Republicans Defeat the rank you want to participate in Democrats Opposed after a heated debate. The Montana home is controlled by 58 Republicans and 42 Democrats.

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House Bill 675 defined drugs as inherently sexual and sought to give parents the right to pursue them. Legal Behaviors towards performers and promoters for “psychological, emotional, economic, and physical harm.” Under invoicethe performer could have faced a fine of up to $5,000. Advocates frame the measure as a way to protect children, while LGBTQ+ Advocates and legal experts argued that it was another attempt to target and erase strange cultures under the ornament of moral law.

Related: Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr wins reelection and returns to the floor of the house after sanctions

Democrat from Missoula and Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the first out of Montana Transgender Lawmakers strongly opposed the bill and called it. Efforts to silence and alienate transgender people. She pushes back the notion that drug performance is inherently inappropriate, pointing to her resemblance to Disney princesses who drag stories in Montana and read children. She also pointed out that similar laws that passed the final session were used to prevent trans women from giving, not first against drug shows. history Lectures at the library.

In her speech, Zephyr rejected the allegations made by the Republican House Speaker. She called the comment a dehumanization attack and emphasized that the bill’s true purpose was to target the trans community. She also spoke about her personal experiences as a parent, recalling that her son recently sat at a house gallery and met many of his Republican colleagues. “When I walk him to school, it’s not a lewd display. It’s not a fetish. That’s my family,” she said.

Related: Montana House Speaker Silence Before Transgender Lawmakers Pass Anti-Trans Bill

Her speech was filled with unexpected support GOP Billings Rep. Shelley Esman opposed the bill on the grounds that it undermined parents’ rights. Speaking as parents and grandparents, Esman opposed the idea that lawmakers should direct what parents are showing their children. “Everyone here talks about how important parental rights are,” she said. “In addition to parental rights, parental responsibility is also important. We have a bigger problem when we can’t trust a decent parent to decide when and where to see what our children see.”

She criticized the measure as a distraction from actual legislative priorities such as property tax relief, saying, “They are a waste of time. They are a waste of energy. We are working on property tax relief and we should not have this kind of business on the floor of this house.”

Related: Zooey Zephyr will not be banned from women’s toilets at Montana State Capitol after GOP attempts

Zephyr’s speech and vote marked another chapter of her famous tenure at Montana House. Almost two years ago, in April 2023, Republicans denounced Zephyr and barred her from speaking on the floor of the house after denounced a bill that would preserve the gender of minors. She was forced to work from a corridor bench for the rest of the legislative meeting in a move that has been widely criticized for attacks on trans representatives in the government. Despite trying to silence her, she won reelection in 2024 and returned home with full legislative privilege.