A Missoula judge blocked a new law restricting which public accommodations transgender, nonbinary and intersex Montanans can access.
House Bill 121 passed the state Legislature and was immediately effective when Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it last week.
It requires that people use gender-specific public accommodations, like bathrooms or sleeping quarters, according to the reproductive anatomy they were born with. Public entities, like local governments, are civilly liable for enforcing the law.
The ACLU of Montana immediately challenged the law in court on behalf of four transgender residents and one intersex resident. The plaintiffs argue the law violates their right to privacy and is discriminatory.
Missoula County District Court Judge Shane Vannatta ruled Wednesday that they’re likely to succeed in their legal challenge. He blocked enforcement of the law while litigation is ongoing.
