Montana lawmakers on Tuesday voted down a measure that would have barred state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a transgender woman, from using the women’s restroom in the Capitol.
The proposal, which would have forced state lawmakers to use the restrooms of their gender at birth in the Capitol, failed to clear the House Rules Committee after four Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues in voting against it. The Senate Rules Committee had passed the measure by an 11-7 vote.
In a joint rules committee meeting before the vote Tuesday, Republican Rep. Jerry Schillinger, who introduced the measure, said it would mandate that “the girls’ restroom will be used only by girls and the boys’ restroom will be used only by boys.” .” Rep. Brad Barker, a Republican who voted against the proposal, said the issue was becoming “a distraction.”
None of the female lawmakers participated in the discussion, NPR reports.
Zephyr responded to the measure’s failure that day in a post on work we did. were chosen for that purpose.”
Zephyr is the first openly transgender person to serve in the Montana state legislature. Last year, she was criticized by her Republican colleagues — who hold a majority in the state House — after telling them during a debate that they would have “blood on your hands” if they supported a proposal to limit gender-affirming care for minors . They also accused her of inciting protesters who disrupted proceedings.
A similar, more vitriolic debate over women’s restrooms has played out in the U.S. Capitol, where House Republicans are attempting to impose a ban on trans women from using the women’s facilities ahead of Rep.-elect’s arrival. Sarah McBride to Congress next year.
McBride, a Democrat from Delaware, last month became the first openly transgender person elected to Congress. Weeks later, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., introduced a resolution for a restroom ban, which she said was “absolutely” a response to McBride’s impending arrival. Mace also repeatedly and deliberately mistreated McBride and attempted to capitalize on the controversy she created to sell merchandise.
Days after Mace introduced her resolution, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he also supports banning trans women from using women’s facilities in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
