Republican proposes restroom ban as first openly transgender member joins House

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, introduced a resolution on Monday to "ban transgender women from using biological women's restrooms at the U.S. Capitol."

The ban was introduced just months before Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Delaware, takes office and becomes the first openly transgender member of Congress.

The bill would ban members of the House and employees from using "facilities designed for the opposite biological sex." Mace says that the House sergeant at Arms would be tasked with enforcing the rule.

Mace's office says that the bill is about "protecting women's rights and pushing back against policies which erase the unique needs and identities of biological women."

"I know how vulnerable women and girls are, so I'm absolutely, 100% going to stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a woman's restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms. I will be there fighting every step of the way."

Many LGBTQ rights groups say describing a transgender woman as a "man" is highly offensive.

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McBride responded to Mace's proposal via X late Monday.

"Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness," she said. "This is 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."

Republicans are expected to continue to hold a narrow majority in the House when the new Congress is seated on January 3.

Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters, "We will accommodate the needs of every single person," but would not say how he plans to handle the matter when McBride takes office.

McBride joins Congress to replace Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who opted not to run for reelection. McBride defeated Republican John Whalen by a 58-42 margin for Delaware's lone seat in the House.

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After the 2020 election, McBride became the first openly transgender member of a state senate in the U.S. She was reelected to the Delaware State Senate in 2022.