Montana Governor's Nonbinary Child Asks Him to Reject State's Anti-LGBTQ Legislation
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David Gianforte recently scheduled an appointment with their father, Republican Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, to share concerns about the state legislature's attempts at stripping back LGBTQ+ rights
As anti-LGBTQ+ bills work their way through Montana's state legislature, many members of the queer and trans community are calling on Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte to reject any legislation that reaches his desk — including the governor's own child.
David Gianforte — a resident of Bozeman, Montana, who identifies as nonbinary and goes by both "he" and "they" pronouns — has kept an eye on a slate of state bills that they believe would strip back LGBTQ+ people's rights. One would ban gender-affirming health care for minors, one would severely restrict public drag performances, and one would define "sex" as a binary in Montana law.
Opening up in a recent interview with the Montana Free Press, David, 32, explained that as the bills grew closer to reaching their father's desk for a signature or veto, they began to feel a duty to express concerns to Montana's top politician, knowing that most people wouldn't be afforded the same opportunity.
Related:Montana Republicans Ban State's Only Trans Lawmaker Rep. Zooey Zephyr from House Floor
"I do have a family relationship with my father that I'm trying to preserve," David told the Free Press, noting that in past legislative sessions, they've kept quiet about their opinions. "I felt that the best way to go about this would be to reach out to him in a more formal manner. And he was very willing to meet with me."
David initially emailed the governor to start a conversation, asking "as your constituent and your son" for him to veto the bills when they reach his desk. The governor wrote back within hours, the Free Press reports, saying, "I would like to better understand your thoughts and concerns. When can we get together to talk about it?" He signed the email: "Love, Dad."
On March 27, David showed up to the governor's office for an appointment and read a prepared statement that had been printed out: "Hey Dad. Thanks for setting aside time to meet with me, it means a lot to me. There are a lot of important issues passing through the legislature right now. For my own sake I've chosen to focus primarily on transgender rights, as that would significantly directly affect a number of my friends … I would like to make the argument that these bills are immoral, unjust, and frankly a violation of human rights."
Gov. Gianforte rebutted in a "thoughtful" way, according to David, and despite their disagreements, the conversation took a weight off David's shoulders. Later on, David told the Free Press, when it became clearer that the governor's conversations with transgender Montanans had not changed his mind, the heavy feeling returned.
"He is concerned about his career. He has particular issues that he focuses on, such as jobs and the economy. And he's aware that being able to stay in the position of governor is dependent on him staying in favor of the Republican Party," David told the outlet. "And I believe that that affects his decisions on some of these bills."
Still, David said they don't regret speaking up and bringing more publicity to the issues.
"I feel like I have a voice and I can be heard. And I feel, not only in communicating with my father, that's not necessarily the main point, but also just showing support for the transgender community in Montana," David said. "I think that could be meaningful, especially at this time."
Greg and David Gianforte did not immediately return PEOPLE's requests for comment.
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