Montana House lawmakers broke two anti-LGBTQ bills last week after the chamber’s transgender and non-binary representatives gave passionate speeches protesting the measure.
Zooey Zephyr (D-Missoula) is the first transgender representative of Congress. House Bill 675sponsored by Rep. Caleb Hinkle (R Belgrade), who tried to ban drug performances and pride parades in Montana.
Hinkle previously sponsored the ban on public performances of “sexual nature” aimed at targeting drag shows and dragging Queen Story time-type events (even if they don’t contain sexually explicit content).
The ban was struck by a federal judge in 2023 as unconstitutional, on the grounds that it is likely to be enforced against drug performers as well as those who fall outside the norms of traditional gender and identity.
In his recent version of the bill, Hinkle included a clause that allows individuals to sue drug performers for $5,000 if a child is exposed to or attend a drug show, rather than relying on the government to enforce laws against performers.
Hinkle’s bill explained that drug performers employ “characterized” personas, often incorporating “sensual dance, provocative costumes, stripping, adult humor” into their actions.
Zephyr opposed its characterization and opposed past comments from Hinkle describing his transgender identity as a “cross-dressed fetish.”
“It’s very core, drugs are art,” Zepher said. I said. “It’s such a beautiful art. This country has a deep history and is important to my community.
“If you’re a woman with this body wearing a suit today, you’re taking on some kind of challenge to the gender norms that existed long ago,” Zephyr continued. “Fifty years ago, if you were wearing three clothes that show the opposite gender, they said they could stop you and arrest you. It was those laws that led to police raiding LGBTQ+ bars that led to one of the most important civil rights moments in my community’s history, Stonewall Riots.
“When the sponsors closed this bill, he said, this bill was necessary…and I’ll quote him… “Because transgenderism is a fetish based on crossdressing.”
“And I’m here to stand in front of my body and say my life is not fetish,” Zephyr continued. “My presence is not fetish… When I go for a walk [my son] For schools, that’s not an amazing display. It’s not a fetish. That’s my family. ”
Zephyr said, “This is a way to target the trans community, and that is, in my opinion, in the speaker’s own words.”
In a surprising move, Sen. Shelley Esman (R-Billing) also opposed the bill, saying to her colleagues, “Trust your parents to do the right thing and stop these crazy bills that waste time. They’re a waste of energy. We’re working on property tax relief, and we don’t have this kind of business on the floor of this house and we should have to talk about this too.”
The bill was defeated by 55-44 votes after 13 Republicans voted for all the Democrats on the Chamber of Commerce.
The lawmakers also refused House Bill 754if the child was identified as transgender, state officials would have allowed the child to be removed from parental custody.
The bill declares that children who are transitioning with parental support are considered to be at a “immediate or obvious risk.” The bill is vague in detail, but perhaps this applies to young people who are moving socially, even if they never pursue medical interventions such as hormones or surgery.
Montana’s first non-binary election lawmaker, Rep. SJ Howell (D-Missoula), opposed the bill in a speech in another move.
“Every time a child is taken away from a family, it’s a tragedy,” Howell said. “It’s a tragedy that is necessary at times, but it’s still a tragedy. The bill doesn’t come close to the seriousness that should be considered for those decisions.”
They also noted that the bill does not define the meaning of “transition,” and pointed out that changing clothes, getting a new haircut, or trying a name that does not match the name given at birth could all be interpreted as a violation.
“Leave yourself in the shoes of CPS workers facing a 15-year-old, and are they supposed to take the child out of their home and put them in the care of the nation?” adds Howell.
In the end, 29 Republicans voted with Democrats to beat the measure by 71-27 votes.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
