Montana lawmakers amend proposed transgender harassment bill

By AMY BETH HANSON
Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana lawmakers have amended a proposed bill that opponents criticize as letting students avoid punishment for intentionally misgendering or deadnaming their transgender peers. Under the changed legislation, schools would be allowed to discipline those who refer to transgender students by their birth name or birth gender when such behavior rises to the level of bullying. Opponents argue that the modified bill just creates a gray area allowing harassment that schools would not be able to discipline until it meets the state’s legal definition of bullying. The sponsor of the bill has said he did not intend for it to lead to bullying of transgender students.