GLAAD RESPONDS TO RESOLUTION TARGETING REP.-ELECT SARAH MCBRIDE, AND DISINFORMATION ABOUT TRANSGENDER PEOPLE

GLAAD: “Every member of Congress is elected to represent their constituents and states, and it should go without saying that they deserve the same rights and respect as every other member of Congress, including from their colleagues. The people of Delaware have spoken and have chosen an outstanding public servant to work on concerns they care the most about, including the cost of health care, child care, and housing. Everyone in Congress might try focusing on solutions to improve people’s lives and leading with kindness, and see what progress you might make for every American.”

(November 19, 2024 – New York, NY) GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is responding to a resolution proposed by Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, misgendering transgender women and targeting Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, who is set to become the first out transgender member of Congress.

The resolution seeks to ban transgender women from using female restrooms inside the Capitol, barring 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.

Rep.-elect McBride responded in a statement and on Twitter/X: “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. Delawareans sent me here to make the American dream more affordable and accessible and that’s what I’m focused on,” she added.

There is no data of any kind to support the claim that inclusive bathrooms undermine anyone’s safety. Thousands of school districts around the country allow transgender students to use facilities based on their gender identity.  These policies make schools more safe by ensuring privacy and safety for all students. Charlotte Clymer, trans writer and DC-based advocate, noted, “It remains very unclear how this rule would be enforced, and when Rep. Mace was asked that exact question last night, she refused to offer anything in the way of a direct answer.”

“What I find most interesting about all this is that trans women have been using women’s restrooms in the Capitol and the House and Senate office buildings and the White House and the Pentagon for many years now, including during all four years of the Trump Administration,” Clymer continued. “Under Donald Trump’s leadership, trans women were permitted to use women’s restrooms in federal buildings in D.C. and there was never any issue.”

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis responded: “Every member of Congress is elected to represent their constituents and states, and it should go without saying that they deserve the same rights and respect as every other member of Congress, including from their colleagues. The people of Delaware have spoken and have chosen an outstanding public servant to work on concerns they care the most about, including the cost of health care, child care, and housing. Everyone in Congress might try focusing on solutions to improve people’s lives and leading with kindness, and see what progress you might make for every American.”

Rep. Mace’s claims that she supports protecting women and girls conflict with her public stance with her own colleagues accused of rape and assault. Rep. Mace has endorsed the nomination of her former House colleague Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, 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 sexual abuse of E. Jean Carroll, has been credibly accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women, and has admitted to forcing himself on women.