The ruling will have enormous impacts for transgender residents in the state.
For everyone. Everyone benefits when the individual human rights of anyone are protected, shielded, affirmed against an all-out assault by bigots.
But yeah, especially for transgender residents.
I don't hear much about Montana, but this kinda strikes me as unexpected from them.
Some of those sparsely populated states have strong personal liberty biases and strong anti-government biases. This makes for seemingly contradictory—at least to liberals—policies.
They might protect trans rights while also advocating for unregulated slaughter houses, unfettered drilling and letting any random rancher use public lands for their herds.
It’s consistent when viewed from the rugged individualist/keep the government outta my business viewpoint.
it’s nice to see personal freedom used not as a dog whistle for misogyny or racial attacks
Oh no, they still do that too
oh awesome, good to know my faith in humanity is still accurate
It’s a sad state, but at the very least we can all try to be the kind of human that restores someone else’s faith in humanity.
Montana in particular has a surprisingly progressive constitution. It was only enacted in 1972, largely in response to rampant corruption in the state. Montanans have the "right to a clean and healthy environment," included because of the abuses of the mining industry, for example.
These days, whenever I see a headline with “trans” and a “Supreme Court” in the same sentence, I brace for the worst.
I am so pleasantly surprised that we actually can count a W. This will not stop the anti-trans rhetoric or the bills being presented and passed, but, it is something. Of course, the 2 dissenting justices misgendered and otherwise belittled our existences—but they were in the minority, so fuck ‘em.
I need to get my birth certificate info correct, as I don’t know if I will be able to starting in 2027.
Also screw that third judge who wanted to carry water for a transphobic bill. Pulling out the knife slightly is not enough.
Montana might wanna have a conversation with their neighbor to the west about what "rights" actually mean.
We have you surrounded Idaho! Time for trans rights and weed!
Unfortunately, Clarence Thomas wants another free world-class vacation, so I expect the US Supreme Court to soon rule the way hateful billionaires want them to...
From the article:
"The majority in this case made the independence of its analysis explicit, writing: "Montana case law interpreting the Individual Dignity provisions directs our analysis, not federal precedent." The dissent cited Trump v. Orr and Skrmetti—both hostile federal rulings—but the majority rejected them outright. What this means in practice is that Montana's transgender residents now have a constitutional shield completely independent of the Supreme Court of the United State’s decisions."