Protecting Women's Private Spaces Act

On November 18, 2024, Nancy Mace introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives to ban newly elected member Sarah McBride from using bathrooms other than those of her sex assigned at birth. Two days later, US House speaker Mike Johnson declared that Mace's ban was being ushered in.

Mace has announced that the bathroom ban will need to be a litmus test for male Republican politicians.

Bathroom ban in the Capitol

On November 18, 2024, Mace introduced a resolution to ban transgender people from using bathrooms other than those of their sex assigned at birth at the U.S. Capitol, in anticipation of the swearing in of Sarah McBride, who is the first trans person elected to Congress. Mace described McBride as a "biological man trying to force himself into women's spaces" and as a "guy in a skirt”, later following this up by saying “It’s offensive that a man in a skirt thinks that he’s my equal”. She confirmed that McBride was "absolutely" the target of her bathroom resolution. Talking to Leland Vittert, Mace announced that she will "fight like hell" to exclude McBride from women's restrooms on the Capitol. Mace's 2024 House resolution would prevent McBride from using "single-sex facilities". H. Res. 1579 was entitled, "Prohibiting Members, officers, and employees of the House from using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex, and for other purposes." Mary Miller and Matt Rosendale co-sponsored her bathroom resolution. Mace also said, "Men that want to use women’s restrooms are threatening to kill me over this issue,” Mace told NewsNation.

Expanded female-only spaces

One day after the bathroom bill, Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed her chagrin that Mace's bill did not go far enough. Greene declared that McBride "is a man" and told reporter Pablo Manríquez, "I support a resolution that keeps all biological men out of women's bathrooms, locker rooms, and private places. Not only here in the Capitol complex, our office buildings, but all taxpayer-funded facilities."   Two days later, Mace announced a new expanded House resolution to ban "Biological Men from Women's Spaces on All Federal Property." The broader bill was "H.R.10186 - To prohibit individuals from accessing or using single-sex facilities on Federal property other than those corresponding to their biological sex, and for other purposes." Michael Rulli and Marjorie Taylor Greene announced their support with co-sponsorship.

In other interviews, Mace belittled and misgendered McBride repeatedly, saying, "He was born a biological male...I'm not into pronouns. I don't care... I'm not going to play into this gender ideology."

Responses

Opposition to transphobia

The chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus Mark Pocan has slammed the House Speaker's bathroom ban. Becca Balint, Balint, co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, stated, "“This incredibly craven and cruel attack directed at [McBride] was certainly intended to dehumanize her before she has even been sworn in."

Rep. Eric Sorensen, who became the first gay Illinois Congressman in 2023, accused Mace of bullying, saying, "That is bulls—...and it is a slap in the face to the first trans member of Congress."

Robert Garcia, a gay Congressman, told Nicolle Wallace on Deadline: White House that he was "disgusted" by Nancy Mace's "vile comments" regarding McBride.

Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, is the latest figure to criticize Rep. Nancy Mace.

Tammy Duckworth, the senator for Illinois, said Nancy Mace's "position is disgusting and wrong. But I also think that we have a lot more to worry about than where somebody goes to pee."

Former House member George Santos was befuddled that Mace was going on with her anti-trans social media posts after winning the fight to exclude McBride from the bathroom that aligns with her female gender, saying, "She’s giving unhinged vibes with over 300 posts in the last week about the Bathroom situation that was addressed and resolved by Speaker Johnson! She wants attention and y’all are giving it to her as she spirals out of control."

Sara Haines called Nancy Mace a "trolling bully" and Ana Navarro called her a "bigot." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on The View that Rep. Mace needs an "intervention" over transphobic posts.

Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) said, "This is the typical House Republicans’ playbook: to distract, deflect, confuse, and scare instead of govern."

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, "What Nancy Mace and what Speaker Johnson are doing are endangering all women and girls."

Desi Lydic, a co-host of The Daily Show, poked fun at Mace if she was not "trying to get actual predators into the highest levels of government."

Ana Kasparian of the The Young Turks criticized Mace for her transphobic tirade in Kasparian's analysis of the Scripps anchor Liz Landers interview in which Mace interrupts Landers saying, "It's a man."

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, responded, "This new cruel and discriminatory policy ... targets not just Rep.-elect McBride, but all trans and nonbinary people who work and visit the Capitol." Additionally, on the basis of Nancy Mace's Human Rights Campaign Scorecard, an LGBTQ Nation analysis has shown that Nancy Mace was "always a transphobic extremist."

In response to the bathroom ban, GLAAD issued a press release stating, "“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."

Advocates for Trans Equality criticized Nancy Mace's measures, stating, "These attacks are designed to divide us - a selfish tactic that undermines the needs of the American people. Policies targeting transgender people do not enhance safety; instead, they unfairly single out a vulnerable community."

Evan Greer protested Nancy Mace at a tech event and subsequently condemned Mace's transphobic campaign.

Elon Musk tweeted his support for Nancy Mace with a meme "your mental illness is not my new reality."

Megyn Kelly misgendered McBride as a "sir" and said she must use "the men’s bathroom".

External links

• H.Res.1579 - Prohibiting Members, officers, and employees of the House from using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex, and for other purposes

• H.R.10186 - Protecting Women’s Private Spaces Act