ACLU sues Montana over censure of trans lawmaker Zooey Zephyr

The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana filed a lawsuit in state court on Monday challenging the censure of Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a Democrat and Montana’s first transgender state legislator.

The lawsuit alleges the actions taken by Montana’s Republican-led House of Representatives to silence Zephyr are a violation of her First Amendment rights.

“By depriving Representative Zephyr of her right to freely engage with the legislative process, Defendants have also deprived her 11,000 constituents of the right to full representation in their government,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants’ lawless silencing and Censure of Representative Zooey Zephyr extinguishes a vital part of the job her constituents elected her to do.”

The suit lists the state of Montana; Rep. Matt Regier, speaker of the Montana House; and Bradley Murfitt, sergeant-at-arms of the Montana House, as defendants.