Two steps forward, one step back. Though Representative-elect Sarah McBride, a Democrat from Delaware, just made history as the first openly transgender person to win a seat in Congress, her Republican colleagues are already using her presence to roll out a decidedly anti-trans agenda.
Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina recently introduced a bill that would ban transgender people from single-sex spaces (bathrooms and locker rooms) that do not correspond with their âbiological sexâ on federal property, quickly earning the support of a fellow Republican, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. âI know how vulnerable women and girls are in private spaces,â Mace said of her bill, per NPR. âSo Iâm absolutely, 100 percent, going to stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a womenâs restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms.â Mace also confirmed that McBrideâs election is what prompted her to put the measure forth.
Itâs unclear if or when the bill would get a vote, but as for the federal property that is the US Capitol building, House Speaker Mike Johnson is already declaring the policy in effect. âAll single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildingsâsuch as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker roomsâare reserved for individuals of that biological sex,â Johnson said in a statement, noting that, âeach Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol.â
