On Monday, a Republican House member introduced a transphobic bill that appeared to be targeted at an incoming lawmaker, Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Delaware), who is set to become the first openly trans member of Congress.
Rep. Nancy Mace’s (R-South Carolina) measure aims to restrict transgender people from using restrooms that correspond with their gender. The bill would prohibit members of the House, appointed officers within that chamber and employees from using restrooms that do not correspond with the gender assigned to them at birth.
The measure would require the House sergeant-at-arms, William McFarland, to enforce the rule, though it’s not clear how he would do so.
Mace described transgender women using restrooms that correspond with their gender as “a complete invasion” of privacy, adding that McBride “doesn’t get a say in this.” When asked by reporters if she would speak to McBride directly about the matter, Mace indicated that she would not.
Mace also engaged in transphobic theatrics on social media, referring to McBride on X as “she” in quotation marks, showcasing that she doesn’t accept McBride’s identity as a woman.
McBride responded to Mace’s attacks by issuing a statement on social media.
“Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully,” McBride wrote, adding, “I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.”
In a subsequent post, McBride described Mace’s proposed rule as “a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing.”
“We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars,” she........