Last weekend, Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.) unleashed a flood of hateful rhetoric on X, repeatedly calling transgender people “mentally ill.” Her comments come just a year after she declared herself a “trans rights advocate.”
Last week, Mace introduced a resolution that would ban transgender members of Congress and other government employees from using Capitol Hill facilities that correspond to their gender identity. The motion targets Congresswoman-elect Sarah McBride (D-Delaware), the first openly transgender person elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Days later, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that for the first time in Congress’ history, transgender members and all transgender women would be banned from using women’s restrooms on Capitol grounds. Mace also “doubled down” and introduced a similar bill that would apply to all federal buildings, including schools, that receive federal funding.
In a text message sent to CNN, Mace emphasized that she has always supported same-sex marriage and said she has no problem with people using their preferred pronouns, but that transgender people should not change their gender identity. He said he was against using spaces to match. “I voted for same-sex marriage twice. I’ll do it again. I’ve supported pro-LGBTQ laws, such as women being forced to undress in front of men, or men using the restroom or private space. “There’s a line in the sand,” Mace told the outlet, adding that transgender people need to “ask for help.”
In a July 2023 interview published by CNN, the South Carolina Republican said he opposed gender-affirming care for minors, but that children should explore their gender identity. “I’m for transgender rights. I’m a pro LGBTQ person.”
“If they want to have different pronouns or a different gender identity, if they want to grow their hair, if they want to wear dresses, if they want to wear pants, if they want to do those things while they’re underage, I think those are all things that most people support. Be who you want to be, but don’t make any permanent changes in your childhood,” Mace said at the time. Republicans also support a bill that would ban transgender women and girls from participating in women’s sports.
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But her tone changed dramatically in the wake of President Trump’s victory earlier this month. In an effort to position himself in the good graces of Trump 2.0, Mace has transformed from an LGBTQ “one man caucus” to an anti-trans culture warrior who reposts suggestive photos of himself cutting into eggplants.
Since introducing the resolution last week, Republicans have repeatedly referred to transgender people as suffering from “mental illness.” At one point, Mace filmed himself taping a piece of paper that read “BIOLOGICAL” over a sign in the Capitol’s women’s restroom.
“If you receive a prescription for ADHD medication, you are not eligible to serve in the U.S. military. However, if you are a man with a mental illness who identifies as a woman, you are not eligible to serve in the military. , the cost of my gender change will be covered by the US government,” she wrote in an X post on Monday. Mace has also worked to misgender McBride through her anti-transgender bathroom campaign.
In an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation, McBride was asked if she felt treated with dignity by her colleagues. “What matters is how the American people are treated. And all the time and energy that is being used to focus on manufactured crises and culture wars is being spent on reducing the costs that families face. “It’s time and energy that’s not being used,” McBride said. “That’s what I’m focused on, and I hope that my colleagues who are focused on other things will join me in prioritizing the needs of the American people.”