As we told you, yesterday, the Montana State House voted to censure trans Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr, banning her from the floor for the remainder of the legislative session.
68-32: The Montana House votes along party lines to censure State Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D), barring her from the state House for the rest of the legislative session. She can vote remotely, but will not be allowed to speak on any bills. pic.twitter.com/81Ej37sRIt
— The Recount (@therecount) April 26, 2023
Damn those Montana State House Republicans for trying to silence such a stunning and brave trans woman like that! All she did was tell them that they’d have the blood of dead children on their hands.
Anyway, if you’ll recall, last week, the Associated Press did a couple of stories on Zephyr’s stunning bravery in the face of anti-trans bigotry.
A group of conservative GOP lawmakers in Montana deliberately misgendered a transgender colleague in demanding that she be censored for language she used while speaking against a bill that would ban gender-affirming medical care for children. https://t.co/QQ9ZD6GhOO
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 19, 2023
That tweet was amazing, but this one was even more amazing:
First, they misgendered her. Then they wouldn't let her speak.
A look at the conflict between a transgender Montana lawmaker and a group of Republicans over a bill that would ban gender-affirming medical care for children. https://t.co/YBYLZAdayM
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 21, 2023
What we didn’t realize at the time was that those tweets and articles were apparently going to be the first in a series of AP odes to Zooey Zephyr. This morning brought with it yet another addition to the AP’s shrine:
Rep. Zooey Zephyr began her first day in legislative exile with renewed confidence that Republican lawmakers’ unprecedented vote to silence her only amplified her message.
“There are many more eyes on Montana now,” Zephyr said in an interview with @AP. https://t.co/JcM6Dx7Yq4
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 27, 2023
It took the collective brainpower of three AP journalists to put this together:
“There are many more eyes on Montana now,” Zephyr said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But you do the same thing you’ve always done. You stand up in defense of your community and you … stand for the principles that they elected you to stand for.”
…
Reporters snapped photos of the legislator as she worked and a nearby espresso machine churned beans. Some lawmakers who wandered by to get a cup of coffee or enter the chamber greeted her cordially. Others stopped and gave her a hug.
Zephyr was thrust into the national spotlight last week when she was prevented from speaking in the House after telling lawmakers backing a bill to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors that they would have blood on their hands.
The Republican response to her comments, and her refusal to apologize for them as demanded, have transformed the lawmaker into a prominent figure in the nationwide battle for transgender rights and placed her at the center of the ongoing debate over the muffling of dissent in statehouses.
Thrrrrrrrrrust into the national spotlight after Republicans pounced on her stunning and brave lack of decorum and denial that she’d done anything inappropriate! How long until the AP creates an annual award in her honor?
What would be the difference between this article and a press release from Zooey Zephyr's office? https://t.co/BGZpVEHvrw
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 27, 2023
Zero. Point. Zero.
Yesterday I posted the AP article about a Republican being expelled from the AZ legislature for bringing a witness who disparaged her colleagues. The AP made the offense the entire story. They frame stories about Democrats who break rules as martyrs. https://t.co/4Fb1JTtycT
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 27, 2023
This stuff drives polarization because it tells one side if you break the rules, you're a hero. The other side, if you break the rules, you're causing insurrection and disorder. It's creating bad incentives for politicians.
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 27, 2023
Zephyr accused her colleagues of "having blood on their hands" which violate the rules of the MT legislature and would violate the rules if it was done in the U.S. Congress. Marjorie Taylor Greene was "silenced" on a committee for calling a witness a liar. https://t.co/AywY6EqQ76
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 27, 2023
It's also not clear it's good for Democrats to do this. Incentivizing red state Democrats to intentionally the break rules, get sanctioned, and become media heroes doesn't actually help Democrats in those states because these are the most polarizing actions you can take.
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 27, 2023
Democrats don’t care that they’re ultimately undermining themselves, and neither do the AP.
I get it if political partisans are okay with double standards and hypocrisy, that's a big part of politics! But why is the media acting like a political partisan?
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) April 27, 2023
Because the media are literally made up of political partisans.
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