“House leadership explicitly and directly targeted me and my district,” Zephyr said in a statement.
Topline
Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D) is suing the Republican House Speaker who led last week’s vote to ban Zephyr—the state’s first transgender lawmaker—from the floor of the state legislature for vocally opposing restrictions on gender-affirming care, arguing the effort violated her constitutional rights and those of her 11,000 constituents.Key Facts
Zephyr announced the lawsuit—which names the state of Montana, House Speaker Matt Regier (R) and House Sergeant of Arms Bradley Murfitt as defendants—on Twitter Monday morning, saying she’s “determined to defend the right of the people to have their voices heard.”
The suit comes days after the Republican-led House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to ban Zephyr—the state’s first transgender lawmaker—from the House floor for the remainder of the legislative session after she participated in protests opposing a bill restricting gender-affirming care for minors.
Zephyr’s lawsuit argues the ban violated her right to free speech under the Montana state constitution by punishing her for “speaking on matters of public concern,” and alleges lawmakers discriminated against Zephyr based on political beliefs and denied her constituents their constitutional right to representation.
