Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced a bill that would prevent transgender women from using women’s restrooms at the U.S. Capitol, a move that comes just as Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride, who is transgender, is set to make history as the first openly transgender member of Congress.
McBride won election earlier this month, despite increasing political opposition to transgender rights from conservative politicians.
Mace’s bill, filed on Monday, seeks to restrict members of Congress and House staff from using bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity, if they are transgender. According to the proposal, bathrooms at the Capitol would be segregated based on “biological sex.”
The bill also suggests that the House sergeant-at-arms would enforce the new rules, though it remains unclear how “biological sex” would be defined or verified.
In a response to the bill, Mace argued that allowing transgender women access to women’s restrooms is a violation of privacy and could jeopardize safety. “Letting biological men in our spaces is not only an invasion of privacy.
It puts our safety at risk too,” Mace wrote on X (formerly Twitter). She also specifically criticized McBride, referring to her as a “biological male” and stating that she does not deserve access to women’s private spaces.
The bill has sparked controversy, with critics noting that the available evidence does not support claims that transgender women pose a safety risk in bathrooms.
In fact, transgender individuals are more likely to be victims of violence than those who are not transgender. Despite this, Mace and her supporters argue that the legislation is a necessary measure for women’s safety.
Polling data shows that Americans are divided on the issue of transgender rights. A Pew Research Center survey found that the majority of Americans believe transgender people should be protected from discrimination in jobs, housing, and public spaces.
However, opinions were more divided when it came to bathroom access, with around 40% of Americans saying transgender people should be required to use bathrooms that correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth.
McBride responded to the bill by calling for kindness and respect from her new colleagues in Congress. She acknowledged that the bill seemed to target her arrival but emphasized that Americans routinely work with people from diverse backgrounds and should treat them respectfully.
“Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own,” McBride wrote. “I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.”
McBride also criticized the bill as a political distraction, pointing out that lawmakers should focus on addressing more pressing issues, such as housing, healthcare, and childcare, rather than manufacturing culture wars.