Trans lawmaker Zooey Zephyr proposes to girlfriend: ‘She has made me the luckiest woman alive’
Montana’s trailblazing trans lawmaker Zooey Zephyr has proposed to her girlfriend, Erin Reed. (David Clumpner)
Democratic representative and trans trailblazer Zooey Zephyr has proposed to her girlfriend, the independent journalist and LGBTQ+ activist Erin Reed.
Reed told PinkNews that the couple had been “side by side through it all for the last several months” and they are “thrilled” to be “a source of happiness for our community”.
The past few weeks have been difficult for Montana’s first trans lawmaker, after she was banned from the floor of the state’s House of Representatives on 26 April, for speaking out against a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for trans youth.
In a powerful speech, Zephyr told lawmakers that Montana Senate Bill 99, which aims to halt all gender-affirming care for trans youth by preventing the administration of physically reversible puberty blockers, would be “tantamount to torture”.
She accused Republican lawmakers of having “blood on your hands” if they voted for the bill.
In a move criticised as “an assault on democracy”, Zephyr will no longer be able to speak during House floor debates or even participate in House business for the rest of 2023.
However, Zephyr has refused to be cowed, spending her time working on behalf of her constituents from the hallways of the Montana House, despite intimidation and mockery from “nasty smirking Karens”.
The trans lawmaker and the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana are suing the state over its censorship of Zephyr, alleging that recent actions taken by the House to silence Zephyr violate her First Amendment rights, as well as the rights of her 11,000 constituents to representation in their state government.
Even in the face of a ‘swat’ attempt on Tuesday (2 May) – a harassment tactic that involves calling an emergency police response against an innocent target, with the intention of having their home invaded – Zephyr and her partner, Erin Reed, have remained steadfast in their advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community.
And on Saturday (6 May), the couple announced their engagement.
Zephyr tweeted a number of adorable pictures of the pair, writing: “Tonight 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.”
Speaking exclusively to PinkNews, Reed said: “Zooey and I have been side by side through it all for the last several months.
“Waking up today with the knowledge I will spend the rest of my life with her brings me immense happiness.
“That she proposed in front of hundreds of people who had come to experience joy at Queer Prom just fills my heart up even more – I am so thrilled that we get to be a source of happiness for our community, and I am so happy that her and I get to do this forever.”
The journalist and activist shared a beautiful photograph of Zephyr down on one knee, with the caption: “At Queer Prom tonight, Zooey dropped to one knee and asked me to spend forever with her.
“I said yes. I can think of no better person in this world to stand side by side with.
“She has made me the luckiest woman alive.”
Erin Reed is known for her reporting on legislation that impacts transgender Americans, and has created a map that breaks down the legislative risks to trans people across all 50 states.
The couple were congratulated by social media users who shared in their joy, with one calling them the “ultimate power couple”.
