[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/trans-politician-zooey-zephyr-proposes-to-lgbtq-activist-erin-reed\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/trans-politician-zooey-zephyr-proposes-to-lgbtq-activist-erin-reed\/","headline":"Trans politician Zooey Zephyr proposes to LGBTQ+ activist Erin Reed","name":"Trans politician Zooey Zephyr proposes to LGBTQ+ activist Erin Reed","description":"The couple announced their engagement via Twitter on May 6, sharing that Zephyr proposed at a Montana Queer Prom event. \u201cI can think of no better person in this world to stand side by side with,\u201d Reed tweeted. \u201cShe has made me the luckiest woman alive.\u201d\r\n","datePublished":"2023-05-08","dateModified":"2023-05-08","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/marley\/#Person","name":"Marley Madding","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/marley\/","identifier":12421,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e150567506b1f5b751e2885fa5be7446c095593a181345e8ec7cb49e9e437c89?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e150567506b1f5b751e2885fa5be7446c095593a181345e8ec7cb49e9e437c89?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/trans-politician-zooey-zephyr-proposes-to-lgbtq-activist-erin-reed-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/trans-politician-zooey-zephyr-proposes-to-lgbtq-activist-erin-reed-1.jpg","height":1173,"width":1800},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/trans-politician-zooey-zephyr-proposes-to-lgbtq-activist-erin-reed\/","about":["Engagement","News"],"wordCount":587,"keywords":["engagement","Erin Reed","politics","queer prom","trans rights","Zooey Zephyr"],"articleBody":"Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr and her partner, journalist and LGBTQ+ activist Erin Reed, are engaged! The couple announced their engagement via Twitter on May 6, sharing that Zephyr proposed at a Montana Queer Prom event. \u201cI can think of no better person in this world to stand side by side with,\u201d Reed tweeted. \u201cShe has made me the luckiest woman alive.\u201dTonight I asked Erin to marry me.A year ago, I told Erin that I was looking for a love that felt like home.I have found that and so much more. I have found my future, my family, and my forever. pic.twitter.com\/ntLayGwGJo\u2014 Rep. Zooey Zephyr (@ZoAndBehold) May 6, 2023Zephyr is Montana\u2019s first trans lawmaker, and the past month has been particularly turbulent for her as the state\u2019s House of Representatives weighs Montana Senate Bill 99. If passed, SB99 would stop and prohibit gender-affirming care for trans youth by preventing the administration of physically reversible puberty blockers. In an April 18 speech that garnered national media attention, Zephyr called the bill \u201ctantamount to torture\u201d and accused Republican lawmakers of having \u201cblood on your hands\u201d if they voted for it.Following this, State officials voted to censure Zephyr, who was banned from the House floor on April 26. This action sparked protests and outrage from the Montana LGBTQ+ community, as well as major equal rights organizations. GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis calls the censure an \u201cattack\u201d on democracy and free speech.As of May 1, Zephyr and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Montana are suing the state, alleging that the decision violates the lawmaker\u2019s First Amendment rights, as well as the rights of the 11,000 constituents she was elected to represent. Alex Rate, legal director of the ACLU of Montana, says in a statement: \u201cIn his craven pursuit to deny transgender youth and their families the health care they need, Speaker Regier has unfairly, unjustly and unconstitutionally silenced those voters by silencing their representative.Zephyr, now the de facto face of the fight for trans rights in Montana, and Reed, who is known for her reporting on and mapping of legislation that impacts transgender Americans, experienced a \u2018swat\u2019 attempt on May 2. \u2018Swatting,\u2019 as noted by PinkNews, is \u201ca harassment tactic that involves calling an emergency police response against an innocent target, with the intention of having their home invaded.\u201d Reed shared a tweet saying, \u201cSomebody just attempted to swat me for my reporting on transgender legislation and events. Thankfully, I\u2019ve worked closely with the police in my community anticipating this, and the attempt failed. I will never stop advocating for my community and will never be silenced.\u201dAfter weeks of being thrown into the spotlight for devastating reasons, Zephyr and Reed\u2019s engagement is a joyful reminder of the fortitude of queer love. In the face of bigotry, censorship and national media attention, this proposal brings to mind a quote by queer author Jeanette Winterson: \u201cLove demands expression. It will not stay still, stay silent, be good, be modest, be seen and not heard, no. It will break out in tongues of praise, the high note that smashes the glass and spills the liquid.\u201d I can get used to this. pic.twitter.com\/bbRZBctc5j\u2014 Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) May 6, 2023Stay updated on LGBTQ+ news by joining our mailing list and following us on Instagram and TikTok.Wanna chat about this news? Drop a comment below or join us in our private Facebook group.Featured image by David Clumpner Photography via Zooey Zephyr on Twitter"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Trans politician Zooey Zephyr proposes to LGBTQ+ activist Erin Reed","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/trans-politician-zooey-zephyr-proposes-to-lgbtq-activist-erin-reed\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]