GOP state leaders called her words “hateful rhetoric” and condemned her for leading a protest with supporters that brought a legislative session to a temporary halt.Ī conservative caucus also repeatedly and deliberately referred to Zephyr with masculine pronouns while also suggesting her actions were “nothing more than an ego trip.” Zephyr, a Democrat, surged into the spotlight this spring when she was silenced by her Republican colleagues in the Montana Legislature after she refused to apologize for saying some lawmakers would have blood on their hands for supporting a ban on gender-affirming health for youth. Debates rage in statehouses over any number of related issues - whether transgender girls should be allowed to compete in female sports, if parents have a right to know when their children start going by a gender identity at school or if young children should be banned from taking hormone blockers. Their rise in prominence has also made them a lightning rod for criticism and vitriol that’s emblematic of the larger divisions around LGBTQ+ issues in the United States.
They recently rubbed elbows at a bar in the nation's capital with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, during Pride festivities. Documentary film crews follow them around. People lined up to meet them after speaking in Florida, Ohio and Los Angeles, and even recognized them during their recent trip to Glacier National Park. They've appeared at dozens of events, including the GLAAD Media Awards in New York City in May. Largely unknown just a few months ago, the two women now rate among the most prominent figures in the world of LGBTQ+ advocacy. Their appearances at Pride events this month throughout the country replicate scenes like the one in Missoula. Zephyr and Reed, both 34, have emerged as a vanguard, a power couple spreading hope to fellow transgender people amid a year in which hundreds of bills were proposed or passed that restrict their rights in health care and other realms.
“I feel like it makes us as a generation feel represented when we have people like her in power and up there giving very inspirational, motivational words of wisdom,” says Scarborough, 20. Sage Scarborough hugs a book and grins after getting Zephyr’s autograph.
Tears well in people's eyes as they speak with the couple afterward. Zephyr, a transgender state lawmaker, later gives a speech to hundreds attending the event.
Zephyr cups her hands together in a heart over her chest in appreciation. Reed stops and raises a small Pride flag. (AP) - Zooey Zephyr and Erin Reed walk hand in hand at a Pride parade in the college town of Missoula, Montana, wearing smiles as sunny as the day is rainy.
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