Transgender Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr was barred from the Montana House floor recently for breaking decorum during a debate on legislation regarding sex change surgery for children.
Zephyr has spent every moment since, trying to get back in by sharing photos on social media and trying to court sympathy.
Zephyr even took the case to a judge, who just ruled against him.
The Washington Times reports:
Judge rejects Zooey Zephyr’s bid to return to Montana House floor
Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the transgender Montana lawmaker who was silenced after telling Republicans they would have blood on their hands for opposing gender-affirming health care for kids, cannot yet return to the statehouse House floor and participate in debate, a judge ruled Tuesday.
The ruling came after attorneys for the state of Montana asked the judge to reject transgender Zephyr’s attempt to return after she was silenced and then banished for admonishing Republican lawmakers and encouraging a raucous statehouse protest.
Lawyers working under Attorney General Austin Knudsen had cautioned that any intervention by the courts on Zephyr’s behalf would be a blatant violation of the separation of powers. They wrote in a court filing that the Montana House of Representatives retains “exclusive constitutional authority” to discipline its own members.
Attorneys for Zephyr and several of her Missoula constituents on Monday filed court papers seeking an emergency order allowing her to return to the House floor for the final days of the 2023 legislative session.
Zephyr and fellow Democrats have denounced her exclusion from floor debates as an assault on free speech that’s intended to silence her criticism of new restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors.
But lawyers for the state said the censure of Zephyr by her Republican colleagues was “for good cause” following the April 24 demonstration by her supporters.
“One legislator cannot be allowed to halt the ability of the other 99 to engage in civil, orderly, debate concerning issues affecting Montana,” the state’s lawyers wrote.
He should be removed from his position.
The court’s decision not to reinstate me undermines the democratic principles our country was founded on.
I vow to continue standing for my constituents & community to fight for our democratic institutions. If we can’t get justice in the courts, we will get it in the ballot box. pic.twitter.com/cBgXOnIX8K
— Rep. Zooey Zephyr (@ZoAndBehold) May 2, 2023
BREAKING: Source in the Montana Capitol sent me this video and tells me this cameraman has been following censured Rep. Zooey Zephyr around all day. pic.twitter.com/rKGTuMAQiT
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 1, 2023
Zephyr isn’t interested in doing the work of the people of Montana.
This is all about him.