--- description: Find out how Zooey Zephyr is shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership. title: 2023 TIME100 Next: Zooey Zephyr image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd9f35b054e5b3705/698a4008457a52c7ddd67e97/time100-next-zooey-zephyr-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Sep 13, 2023 # Zooey Zephyr by [Sanya Mansoor](/author/sanya-mansoor/) ## Sanya Mansoor Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close  Zooey Zephyr Zooey ZephyrTommy Martino—AP A record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills made their way through state legislatures in 2023\. In April, Montana [state representative Zooey Zephyr](https://time.com/6276507/zephyr-zooey-lawsuit-free-speech/ "undefined") called out one such bill that would restrict gender-affirming care in her state, saying that those who supported it would have “blood on your hands”—setting off a chain of events that would make her one of the anti-trans bills’ most visible opponents coast to coast. --- ### More from TIME --- The majority-­Republican body formally disciplined Zephyr by ­banning her from in-person debates for this year’s legislative session, and allowing her to vote only remotely. But Zephyr kept showing up at the capitol to represent her district, fighting for a seat in the hallway, even as her access to entrances, bathrooms, and workspaces was deactivated. Protests and national outcry ensued over Zephyr’s ­punishment, which critics called extreme and undemocratic. The ­Montana bill passed, but in the months since, Zephyr—now widely known for her work to combat it—has continued to use her national profile to champion protections for transgender ­Americans. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308565/zooey-zephyr/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308565/zooey-zephyr/"},"headline":"Zooey Zephyr","datePublished":"2023-09-13T11:00:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-03T00:19:49.387Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308565/zooey-zephyr/","keywords":["TIME 100 Next","sponsorshipblock","time100nextartists23"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd9f35b054e5b3705/698a4008457a52c7ddd67e97/time100-next-zooey-zephyr-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sanya Mansoor","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sanya-mansoor/"}],"creator":"Sanya Mansoor","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd9f35b054e5b3705/698a4008457a52c7ddd67e97/time100-next-zooey-zephyr-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308565/zooey-zephyr/","name":"Zooey Zephyr"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"See Everyone on the TIME100 Next List","description":"TIME100 Next, our annual franchise recognizing the rising leaders in health, climate, business, sports, the arts and more.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/QxIk3IJu/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-09-13T11:00:00.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QxIk3IJu.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308565/zooey-zephyr/","duration":"PT1M58S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308565/zooey-zephyr/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```