To the editor:

Every day, a new stomach-turning law is proposed to hurt or to silence and stifle the LGBT community. Today’s hatred comes from the Montana state house. The supermajority House voted to disallow state Rep. Zooey Zephyr — the first transgender representative in Montana history — to speak on two bills that would:

1. Put definitions into the state code of male and female and

2. To deny gender affirming care for transgender minors.

She had spoken before, saying that if passed, the lawmakers would have “blood on their hands.” Statistics show that suicide is extremely high for transgender teens. Passing this bill would only exacerbate this situation. Not only do students feel alone now, it would codify in law that they don’t exist. GOP leadership voted to ban her from speaking during any sessions this term. When allies came the following week and were disruptive during hearings on the bill, she was censured — meaning she could not be present for the rest of the legislative session. The vote was 68 GOP for censure, 32 Democrats against.

The GOP wasn’t content to just censure. The Montana Freedom Caucus continued to misgender her as well as deadnaming her. Yes, calling her by a name she doesn’t use and using a gender she doesn’t identify with, that’s how petty and cruel they are. Also, as the protesters chanted from the gallery “let her speak” on an unrelated bill that the GOP also stopped Zephyr from speaking on, the chair asked that the “members be told to move to the side and clear the House gallery to remain in a safe location.” Police in riot gear then forcibly removed protesters from the gallery. Speaker Matt Regier and House leadership said “today’s riot by far left agitators damages our discourse and endangered legislators and staff.” A riot? No one was hurt. No one made physical contact. All the protesters were legally in the gallery. But I guess Jan. 6 was a peaceful demonstration, but loud lesbians are called a “riot” that endangers us all.

That wasn’t enough for the far right. Last month, a 12-year-old was asked to remove his t-shirt at school that read “there are only two genders.” He gave a “fiery” speech at a school board meeting “wondering” why his five word statement, he claimed said “nothing harmful, nothing threatening. Just a statement I believe to be a fact.” Of course right wing media and organizations have pounced on this. The Massachusetts Family Institute, a Christian conservative nonprofit, announced it was providing legal support. What if he wore a shirt saying “Black is the only race” or “Islam is the only religion.” I don’t believe any of these organizations would be calling “First Amendment” or decrying the snowflakes who felt unsafe. Heck, Matt Regier, the Montana house leader, felt unsafe when protected by riot gear-wearing state police against angry gay men.

John Stack

Saranac Lake