Alerts & Actions
Stand for Zooey! Call or email House Speaker Regier & Representatives
ACTION ITEM FOR MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2023
Last week, GOP members of the Montana Legislature demanded censure of Representative Zooey Zephyr (D-Missoula) after she made statements holding members accountable for approving SB 99, which would remove healthcare for transgender youth in Montana.
Rep. Zephyr was not officially censured, but House Speaker Matt Regier (R-Kalispell) has since refused to allow Rep. Zephyr to speak on the floor. The majority of Republicans in the House voted to support Regier in order to silence Rep. Zephyr.
CALL THE CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD TODAY!
We are asking everyone to take 3 minutes and call the Capitol switchboard on Monday morning to politely tell Regier and their Representative that silencing, censuring, or expelling Rep. Zephyr is unacceptable. Read below for tips and sample scripts for your call.
Call the Capitol switchboard at 406-444-4800 anytime from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
We’re suggesting calls instead of emails so that everyone in the Capitol is aware that Montanans reject this attempt to silence Rep. Zephyr and her constituents.
Please keep your comments short and polite. GOP legislators are to blame for this situation, not the operators taking your call. Also, your comments are on the public record, so make sure you are representing yourself well.
Sample scripts
Feel free to adapt these scripts or create your own short message.
“Hello, this is [your name] calling from [your city]. I would like to leave a message for House Speaker Matt Regier and my Representative.” (You can look up your Representative’s name here .)
Example 1
“Rep. Zooey Zephyr should not be punished for holding legislators accountable for supporting anti-LGBTQ+ bills like SB 99. Taking away healthcare from Montana youth is wrong, and Rep. Zephyr was well within her rights to speak up for her constituents and transgender Montanans.”
Example 2
“Silencing Rep. Zooey Zephyr is an attempt to silence a legislator who has first-hand experience with the suffering and discrimination that SB 99 will cause. I urge you to stop infringing on Rep. Zephyr’s freedom of speech and her responsibilities as a legislator.”
Example 3
“Rep. Zooey Zephyr’s warning against terrible legislation like SB 99 was completely appropriate and necessary. Please listen to transgender youth, their families, and medical experts who keep warning us that anti-LGBTQ+ legislation like SB 99 and SB 458 will harm Montanans.”
If you prefer email, you can send one here or sign this petition to support Rep. Zephyr.Support for the long haul
You can support transgender, nonbinary, and Two Spirit Montanans all year long by donating to our community care fund. Through this fund we offer support groups to transgender, nonbinary, and Two Spirit Montanans and fun community-based events like the annual Campout, Pride events, and game nights.
Please raise your voice and speak out against bills and actions that could harm our LGBTQ+ and gender diverse friends and neighbors!