A lawmaker told colleagues there would be ‘blood on your hands.’ She’s been silenced for 3 days.

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A Montana lawmaker has been silenced by her Republican colleagues for three days following her comments that there would be “blood on your hands” if they voted for a bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors. The incident occurred on Monday when the Republican lawmakers demanded that the lawmaker apologize for her remarks.

The bill in question would prohibit doctors from providing medical treatment to transgender minors, including hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries. The lawmaker argued that the bill would be harmful to transgender youth and could lead to suicide attempts.

Despite her concerns, the bill passed the Montana House of Representatives on Tuesday by a vote of 60-38, with all but one Republican voting in favour. The bill will now move on to the state Senate for consideration.

The lawmaker’s silencing has sparked outrage among LGBTQ+ advocates and civil rights groups, who have criticized the Republican Party for stifling free speech and failing to listen to the concerns of marginalized communities. Many are calling for the lawmaker to be reinstated and for the bill to be defeated.

The incident is the latest in a series of contentious debates over transgender rights in the United States. While some states have passed laws protecting the rights of transgender individuals, others have sought to restrict their access to healthcare and other basic services.

RE-reported from the story originally published in ET