Trans Montana State Rep. barred from House floor for rest of session

Montana Representative Zooey Zephyr, one of the state's two transgender lawmakers, has been barred from participating in the legislative session on the floor by Republican lawmakers. She has been monitoring the debate and casting votes on a laptop as she sits on a hallway bench near a bustling snack stand. Republicans have been pushing a series of bills on transgender issues, part of a conservative legislative effort that has been coming up for votes in state capitols across the country. Ms. Zephyr has vowed to continue working to represent her constituents, even though she has been punished for impassioned comments she made on the House floor about a proposed ban on gender-affirming medical care for children.