Republican Party in Montana bans transgender Democrat from sitting in Parliament

The Republicans of Montana on Wednesday banned an elected transgender Democrat from sitting in the Parliament of this state in the North of the United States, until the end of the parliamentary session. At issue: his vehement opposition to a law making transitional care inaccessible to minors.

The elected official denounced a “ fundamentally undemocratic decision ” of the Republicans, intended to guarantee ” silence as they take away the rights of transgender and gay Montana residents. » « You can’t kill democracy that easily. “replied the elected just before the vote of his suspension. Because of this disciplinary measure approved by the Republican majority, Montana’s only transgender parliamentarian will no longer be able to run for Parliament and will have to vote remotely.

Last week, the elected official told her colleagues that they should “ to be ashamed to pass a law preventing minors from accessing hormonal sex change treatments. The Conservatives then explained that Zooey Zephyr could return to the local Parliament provided that she does not apologize, but out of the question for the elected official. ” If you use decorum to silence those who hold you accountable, you are only using decorum as a tool of oppression. “, she argued. ” I don’t censor anyone “retorted the Republican leader.

The elected Democrat denounced her exclusion on Wednesday as an attack on democracy and an affront to the LGBT+ community.

A cultural battle between the two parties

This controversy is one of the last episodes of the violent cultural battle between the two major American parties. This conflict comes just weeks after the controversial exclusion of two elected African-American Democrats from the Tennessee Parliament in early April for demonstrating against gun violence. This episode had prompted President Joe Biden to step up to obtain their reinstatement.

Since January 2023, 29 new laws restricting the rights of transgender people have been passed in 14 US states, according to an analysis of data from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a powerful civil rights association. The association also reacted on Wednesday to the suspension of the elected transgender, denouncing a decision which falls under the ” authoritarianism ».

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In the United States, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 56% of young transgender people have had suicidal thoughts during their lifetime and 31% have made at least one suicide attempt. The studies available on the subject show that these young people feel better when they have access to puberty blockers or hormonal treatments, but many Republicans denounce the irreversible effects of some of these treatments and wish to ban them.

(And with AFP)