HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has signed a bill into law that removes obsolete language from state code deeming gay sex as deviant and criminal.
The Democratic governor signed Senate Bill 107 at a ceremony in the Capitol's Rotunda, amid cheers from legislators and gay rights activists.
Both the House and the Senate showed bi-partisan support for the measure that activists have worked for decades to bring about.
Gay rights activists say the proposal is symbolic and hope that the Republican support for the bill will carry over to future attempts to bring legal equality for gays and lesbians.
But some conservatives say that Republican support for the decriminalization bill is a one-time deal and they will continue to vote against other gay rights measures.
