This is an adapted excerpt from the March 12 episode of “All In with Chris Hayes.”
Right now, Republicans are waging a campaign of persecution against transgender people at every policy level across this country. On Capitol Hill, House Republicans are openly attacking the first openly trans member of Congress, Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware.
Lest you be left hopeless by that genuinely enraging exchange, we saw something close to the polar opposite unfold in the Montana House of Representatives.
On Tuesday, Republican Congressman Keith Self of Texas repeatedly misgendered McBride during a House subcommittee hearing. After Self referred to the congresswoman as “Mr. McBride,” Democrat Rep. Bill Keating of Massachusetts modeled what it means to stand up for your colleagues.
“Would you repeat what you just said when you introduced a duly elected representative from the United States of America?” Keating asked. After Self again misgendered McBride, Keating said the Texas Republican was out of order, “Mr. Chairman, have you no decency? I mean, I have come to know you a little bit, but this is not decent.”
“You will not continue it with me unless you introduce a duly elected representative the right way,” Keating added. Self responded by abruptly banging his gavel and adjourning the hearing.
Lest you be left hopeless by that genuinely enraging exchange, we saw something close to the polar opposite unfold in the Montana House of Representatives last Thursday. Republicans hold a near two-thirds majority in that chamber. Last week, they considered two anti-LGBTQ bills. The first was a bill that would allow people to sue drag performers. The second was a draconian bill which sought to remove trans kids from their parents. But Democrats were not going down without a fight.
Montana has two trans or nonbinary Democrats elected to the state Legislature, both of whom delivered earnest, heartfelt speeches about why these bills should not become law. State Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who is trans, spoke out against the drag bill:
In committee when the sponsor closed on this bill, he said this bill is needed, he said, and I quote his words, “Because transgenderism is a fetish based on crossdressing.” Those were his words for why this bill is necessary. And I’m here to stand before the body and say that my life is not a fetish. My existence is not a fetish. I was proud, less than a month ago, to have my son up in the gallery here. Many of you on the other side met him. When I go to walk him to school, that is not a lascivious display. That is not a fetish. That is my family.
After Zephyr spoke, Republican State Rep. Sherry Essmann also took to the floor against the bill. “Trust the parents to do what’s right and stop these crazy bills that are a waste of time,” Essmann told her colleagues. “They’re a waste of energy. We should be working on property tax relief and not doing this sort of business on the floor of this House and having to even talk about this.”
Following those speeches, 13 Republicans flipped their votes against the drag ban. It was defeated 55 to 44.
That same day, Rep. SJ Howell, who is nonbinary, delivered a speech of their own on the bill that would allow Child Protective Services to remove trans children from homes that affirm their identities. “Put yourself in the shoes of a CPS worker who is confronted with a young person, 15 years old maybe, who is happy, healthy, living in a stable home with loving parents, who is supported and has their needs met,” Howell said. “And they are supposed to remove that child from their home and put them in the care of the state? We should absolutely not be doing this.”
Following Howell’s speech, 29 Republicans flipped their votes. The bill was defeated overwhelmingly, 71 to 27.
It is really easy these days to lose hope in the basic mechanics of democracy. But what happened in Montana last week was an incredible shining example that shows it’s not all for naught. People can be persuaded away from cruelty and viciousness and there is some hope on the other side.
Allison Detzel contributed.
