Sen. Sarah McBride waves at neighbors outside her home in Wilmington, Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
When Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) won her election to become the first transgender member of Congress, elation from the LGBTQ+ community soon turned to fear and anger. Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, wasted no time launching a hate campaign directly targeted at McBride’s bathroom usage.
With focused intensity, Mace moved forward with her initiative to ban McBride and all trans people from using bathrooms that align with their gender inside the Capitol. She gained the support of a handful of fellow members of Congress, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who quietly inserted a trans bathroom ban into the latest edition of Congressional rules.
Related:
Her loud and proudly bigoted campaign overshadowed McBride’s major win for the trans community. Now that the ban has taken effect, there will no doubt be significant ramifications for trans representation in government.
Dive deeper every day
Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues
The presence of transgender individuals in local, state, and federal government is crucial to protecting trans rights in the United States, especially as the Trump administration works to dismantle them.
Fear & inefficiency
Trans people have been subjected to an onslaught of hate-borne legislation that seeks to limit their ability to live openly and authentically. In 2024 alone, 672 anti-trans bills were proposed across 43 states. Fifty of those proposed bills passed, and 9 are still active. Due to the work of trans politicians, advocates, and allies, 613 proposed anti-trans bills failed last year, showing the clear need for continued representation, especially at the federal level.
McBride’s election marks a pivotal moment in the fight for trans rights, as do the elections of other trans individuals to state and local roles — such as Zooey Zephyr (D) to the Montana House of Representatives and Danica Roem (D) to the Virginia Senate. Their victories open the door for legislation that protects trans individuals and promotes needed social change.
Throughout her anti-trans bathroom campaign, Mace weaponized well-worn reasoning and stoked fear of the so-called “predator in a dress” who is out to victimize women in spaces where they may be vulnerable. However, there is no documented evidence that men have used female disguises to gain access to bathrooms with the expressed intention to cause harm. It is an argument with no basis in fact, but one that has been successful nonetheless in convincing people that policies like the one proposed by Mace and enacted by Speaker Johnson have merit.
Few actions are more private and personal than using the bathroom. Attempts to ban transgender people from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity are sold as “protecting women and children,” when in reality, they are stripping human beings of their fundamental right to dignity.
When trans individuals are forced to use a bathroom that does not align with their gender identity, they are left vulnerable to harassment, emotional distress, and even violence.
By directly targeting McBride, Mace aimed to communicate that she and other trans lawmakers and staffers are not welcome in the halls of the Capitol building. In addition, the crusade pulled focus from far more important matters that Mace was actually elected to address. As McBride said, Mace’s hate campaign is a “distraction meant to cause division and divert attention away from the real challenges facing Americans.” In short, Mace and her supporters have not only fostered a culture of fear and harassment in the House, but also a culture of inefficiency.
A swift shutdown
Leaders like McBride have already offered themselves up as trailblazers. We must support those who step forward as representatives of the community.
When one of our own is attacked directly, that attack must be met with an efficient and swift shutdown. Trans leaders, advocates, and allies must come out swinging for comprehensive nondiscrimination legislation that addresses income disparity, education, medical access, and bathroom access for transgender people. We must rally for these inclusive policies within schools and workplaces and promote the effectiveness and standardization of gender-affirming care.
Since Speaker Johnson acquiesced to Mace’s demands, questions of enforcement and the long-lasting effects of the discriminatory actions have loomed large. While the trans community is accustomed to being the target of far-right ire, it doesn’t make direct attacks any easier to weather.
Through the leadership of trailblazers like McBride, the trans community must meet these challenges head-on — with grit and determination to persevere.
Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
