Trans lawmaker Zooey Zephyr and girlfriend Erin Reed targeted in ‘swat’ attack: ‘We will not be deterred’
Zooey Zephyr has been censured and barred from Montana House debates. (Twitter)
Anti-trans trolls attempted to “swat” trans politician Zooey Zephyr and her girlfriend, journalist Erin Reed, the couple have revealed.
On Tuesday (2 May), the Montana state representative’s partner took to Twitter to reveal what had happened at her Maryland home that day.
Swatting is a harassment technique that involves calling in an emergency police response against an innocent target, with the intention of having their home invaded, potentially resulting in an arrest.
“Somebody just attempted to swat me for my reporting on transgender legislation and events. Thankfully, I’ve worked closely with the police in my community anticipating this, and the attempt failed,” Reed wrote.
“I will never stop advocating for my community and will never be silenced.”
Reed has made a name for herself as a journalist and trans campaigner, covering the rise in anti-trans and LGBTQ+ bills being passed in the US by hard-line Republicans.
Zephyr was recently barred from the state house for speaking up for trans healthcare.
Reed told Advocate that she has spoken to the police in preparation for such an incident and knew she would be targeted at some point due to her activism.
“It’s good that this happened the way it did in the sense that I was able to have that foresight, but not everybody has that foresight, and not every police department is going to respond the way that this one did,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Missoula Police Department confirmed that the incident occurred and insisted they took the incident seriously.
“We confirmed everyone was safe. We determined the threat was from an FBI tip (not local), and it was unfounded,” they said.
In response to the swat attack, Zephyr said: “Those who hate trans people are doing everything in their power to silence and harm us.”
Shortly after Zephyr posted the tweet, she revealed a swatting attempt has also been made on her.
“I am fine,” she said. “An individual reported an anonymous tip, targeting my home in Missoula, and the police recognised that it was likely a hoax and called me.
“I will say again: we will not be deterred. The fight for trans rights goes on.”
In 2017, an innocent Kansas man was shot dead by police after a swatting incident. The person who carried out the swat attack is currently serving a 20-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstructing justice.
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