Zooey Zephyr Will Not Be Banned from Restrooms

metroweekly.com:

Zooey Zephyr (D-Missoula), Montana’s first out transgender lawmaker, will not be denied access to a women’s restroom at the State Capitol after all.During a meeting of the Joint Rules Committee on Tuesday, members of the Montana House of Representatives voted 10-12 to reject a proposed rule that would have prohibited all transgender women from using women’s restrooms.Senate members voted 11-7 in favor of the rule, but it failed because it needed a majority in both chambers to pass, reports NBC Montana.Had the rule passed, it would have prevented Zephyr from entering or using the women’s restroom located between the House and Senate chambers.The rule was proposed by State Rep.

Jerry Schillinger (R-Circle), who cited the documentary “What is a Woman?”, a 2022 film produced by the conservative website The Daily Wire that challenges the very idea of transgender identity and mocks those who believe transgender women are women.Schillinger’s rule led some lawmakers to question how such a ban would be enforced and whether legislators would need to be tested for chromosomes or the ability to produce eggs before being allowed to use the women’s restroom.“If there’s a question over the chromosomes of a legislator, then does the legislature itself force the legislator to take some type of test, and then those results be made public?” asked State Rep.

Ed Buttrey (R-Great Falls). “I get what the sponsor is trying to do, I’m just not sure how this would be put into effect and be utilized.”Democrats were universally opposed to banning Zephyr and other transgender individuals from the restroom, while Republicans were split.