Our Work in Montana
Our story in Montana began with Gryczan v. State of Montana: a landmark case that overturned the state’s criminal ban on homosexuality. Since then, our work has included advocacy for transgender and intersex people fighting for access to public spaces, people seeking private and safe abortion care, and incarcerated pregnant people.
Recent Litigation
Challenging the State’s Anti-Trans “Bathroom Ban”
Perkins v. State of Montana
Alongside our partners, we’re suing to block Montana’s anti-trans “bathroom ban,” one of the broadest laws of its kind in the country. On May 16, 2025, we won a preliminary injunction that blocks the bathroom ban from being enforced during the lifetime of our case, allowing people to use public facilities that align with their gender identity.
How We Helped Block Three Anti-Abortion Laws
Planned Parenthood v. State of Montana
We wrote an amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court) brief in opposition to three anti-abortion laws in Montana that harm survivors of intimate partner violence. On June 9, 2025, the Montana Supreme Court upheld a permanent block on all three laws. This decision finally closes the door on a four-year-long legal battle that had the support of many Montanans, including providers, patients, and the organizations that serve them.
Policy Advocacy
Highlights from the 2025 Session
Our two-person team worked on more than 40 bills related to reproductive freedom, 2SLGBTQ+ rights, and immigration justice. Despite strong opposition, we achieved the three key victories below.
PASSED: Law Restricting Shackling During Childbirth
House Bill 475 limits the inhumane practice of shackling incarcerated people while they are in labor. It’s well established that shackling seriously jeopardizes the health of both pregnant people and their newborns. Restraints make epidurals difficult to administer, they delay time-sensitive procedures like C-sections, and they increase the risk of blood clots. Legal Voice led advocacy efforts for this bill, and it passed with nearly unanimous support.
The law took effect Oct. 1, 2025.
DEFEATED: Abortion Travel Ban
Alongside our allies, we defeated House Bill 609, an “abortion trafficking” bill that would have blocked Montanans from traveling both in and out of state for abortion health care. The Montana Constitution has always protected reproductive rights, and these rights have been affirmed by Montana Supreme Court rulings and a recent constitutional initiative. However, HB 609 imagined a world in which these rights were somehow stripped away and could be further constrained through a travel ban. In this fiction, Montanans would be criminalized for seeking legal health care outside the state.
DEFEATED: Attack on Medication Abortion
House Bill 555 and Senate Bill 479 were based on a conspiracy theory that medication abortion products affect wastewater quality. If enacted, they would have placed burdensome, unnecessary restrictions on health care providers and medication manufacturers. Because these bills would have disrupted telemedicine, they would have been incredibly harmful for Montanans who seek abortion health care.
Let's Talk!
We’re excited to build connections across the state, whether it’s through policy change, legal action, or public education.
Please reach out if you have any questions or if you’re interested in collaborating.