—Multiple times used an anti-transgender slur in social media posts and in video: in a post on December 4, 2024, following public demonstrations outside the Supreme Court that morning; in a video after trans activists including Raquel Willis and Chelsea Manning staged a bathroom sit-in protest and were arrested; in a video in which she called the activists “tr*nny protesters”; in a post writing “[t]he tr*nnies came, they saw, and they did not conquer during their protest”; and a post in which Mace complained about X site moderation that read, in part, “A man’s mental health issue isn’t my problem.” Some posts contain a moderation warning from X that noted Mace had “violated the X Rules about hateful conduct” but that moderators had “determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the post to remain accessible.” While X applied the limited visibility labels to the posts, Mace’s corollary posts on her Instagram accounts have remained unmitigated. For more information on the defamatory language, see the GLAAD glossary of terms: Transgender.
—Introduced a resolution that seeks to bar transgender women from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol, stating that the resolution was in response to the election of Sarah McBride (D-DE), the first out transgender person elected to Congress. In media appearances about the resolution Mace repeatedly misgendered McBride and baselessly framed her actions as protective of women and girls. There is no evidence that transgender people pose a threat in restrooms. The resolution seeks to bar both House members and employees from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex [sic].” “Biological sex” is not an accurate nor a scientific term, but is used by opponents of transgender people to dehumanize them and deny their equal access to society. There is no data of any kind to support the claim that inclusive bathrooms undermine anyone’s safety. Transgender people are also several times more likely to be the victims of violent crimes than those who are not transgender.
—Her claims that she supports protecting women and girls conflict with her public stance with her own colleagues accused of rape and assault. Rep. Mace endorsed the nomination of her former House colleague Matt Gaetz for Attorney General (he has since withdrawn his nomination), despite accusations that Gaetz had sex with underage girls, showed photos of women he had sex with to colleagues on the House floor, and accusations that Gaetz participated in sex trafficking. Mace also refused to speak out against president-elect Donald Trump even after he was found liable for raping E. Jean Carroll, has been credibly accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women, and has admitted to forcing himself on women. Mace’s former communications director, Natalie Johnson, tweeted that Mace’s actions were motivated by attention-seeking, not safety: “If you think this bill is about protecting women and not simply a ploy to get on Fox News, you’ve been fooled,” she wrote.
—Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which aimed to protect same-sex marriage at the federal level.
—In 2021 positioned herself as a supporter of LGBTQ rights. She stated, “I strongly support LGBTQ rights and equality. No one should be discriminated against,” and expressed connections to the LGBTQ community through personal relationships.
—Co-sponsored the Serving Our LGBTQ Veterans Act (2021), which would establish a Center for LGBTQ Veterans within the Department of Veterans Affairs. It also aims to guarantee and protect VA benefits for LGBTQ veterans who were discharged from the Armed Forces due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. She was the lone Republican sponsor.