Nancy Mace introduces Capitol bill targeting transgender women’s restroom access, sparks backlash

Republican Representative Nancy Mace has introduced a bill aiming to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol and House offices. The resolution, announced on November 18, 2024, seeks to prevent individuals from accessing single-sex facilities inconsistent with their “biological sex.”

“Biological men do not belong in private women’s spaces. Period. Full stop. End of story,” Mace stated in a social media post. When questioned on the Capitol steps, she confirmed that the move specifically targets newly elected Representative Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, and others. “If we can’t do it here, we can’t do it anywhere,” Mace said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told Axios, “We’re going to talk about that. We’re working on the issue.” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene supported Mace’s stance, claiming transgender women “are not allowed to use our women’s restrooms, our women’s gym, our locker rooms, and our spaces.”

Within hours, McBride, who was elected to represent Delaware’s 1st District earlier this month, condemned the resolution. “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,” McBride said in a statement, emphasizing the need to address housing, healthcare, and childcare costs instead.

Representative Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, echoed McBride’s criticism. “I think we have a lot of problems in America. I don’t think spending time worrying about the restrooms is an order of priority here,” he told Axios.

Mace’s proposed resolution has sparked heated debate, highlighting broader political divides over LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.