Silenced transgender state lawmaker Zooey Zephyr wins reelection in Montana

Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr has won reelection in a race that will allow the transgender lawmaker to return to the House floor nearly two years after she was silenced and sanctioned for speaking out against her colleagues’ opposition to gender-affirming care. The Democratic lawmaker has since become a leading voice for transgender rights across the country, fighting against a surge of anti-trans rhetoric from Donald Trump and his allies. Zephyr represents a district in the college town of Missoula. Her exile technically ended when the 2023 session adjourned. She will make her long-awaited return to the House floor in 2025.