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A transgender state lawmaker in Montana is facing calls to be censured over comments that were made amid the legislature's efforts to pass amendments to a bill that would prohibit sex change treatments for minors.
Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a bisexual and the first transgender lawmaker in Montana legislature history, drew criticism Tuesday after telling Republicans during a House floor debate on amendments to Senate Bill 99 that they have "blood on (their) hands," a notion the lawmaker hopes will be present in their prayers.
"The only thing I will say is if you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments I hope the next time there's an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," Zephyr said.
Majority Leader Sue Vinton interjected to remind her colleagues that they "can debate matters civilly and with respect for each other."
Zephyr's comments came as the state House voted on and debated amendments to the measure that were requested by Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican who has indicated he supports the bill and is likely to sign it into law.
The bill would ban certain medical procedures for transgender minors, but Gianforte offered suggested changes Monday to make it clear that public funds could not be used to pay for surgery or hormone treatments for youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
"I share your profound commitment to protect Montana children from invasive medical treatments that can permanently alter their healthy, developing bodies," he wrote in a letter to the legislative leaders offering his amendments.
"I hope the next time there's an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," Democrat Rep. Zooey Zephyr said to Republican colleagues. (Zooey Zephyr, Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Following Zephyr's remarks from the House floor, the Montana Freedom Caucus, which comprises more than 20 state lawmakers, issued a statement calling for Zephyr to be censured over the "hateful rhetoric."
"The Montana Freedom Caucus demands Representative Zooey Zephyr of Missoula's House District 100 be censured by the House for attempting to shame the Montana legislative body and by using inappropriate and uncalled-for language during a floor debate over amendments concerning Senate Bill 99 — to ban sex changes of minor children," a press release from the group read. "This bill already passed the Montana House and Senate, and the debate was over amendments requested by the governor."
"This kind of hateful rhetoric from an elected official is exactly why tragedies such as the Covenant Christian School shooting in Nashville occurred," the group concluded in the press release. "Combined with former Montana Supreme Court Justice Jim Nelson's recent calls for 'jihad' and a 'fight to the death,' there is unmistakable evidence of a desire for some to engage in violence over political beliefs. This must stop."
Senate Bill 99 previously passed on a mostly party-line vote in the Republican controlled Legislature. Following the House's vote of 66 to 34 in favor of the Gianforte-suggested amendments, just one day after clearing the Senate in a vote of 31 to 19, the bill now goes back to the governor's desk for his signature.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, speaks in Emigrant, Montana, on July 24, 2021. (William Campbell/Getty Images)
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At least 13 states have enacted laws restricting or prohibiting sex change treatment care for minors, and three states have banned or restricted such care via regulations or administrative orders. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of the laws in Alabama and Arkansas. Missouri’s attorney general issued an emergency ban last week that limits treatments for adults.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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