In a move sparking controversy, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House office buildings will be restricted to individuals based on their biological sex. 

This decision aligns with a proposal from Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who openly targeted Representative-elect Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.

Nancy Mace introduced the resolution with explicit aims, stating that Sarah McBride, a Delaware Democrat, should not have access to women’s restrooms, locker rooms, or changing facilities in the Capitol. “Sarah McBride doesn’t get a say,” Mace asserted. “This is a biological man.”

Speaker Johnson, after initially appearing undecided, threw his full support behind the measure, declaring, “Women deserve women’s only spaces.” The rules will apply to all employees and officers of the House.

The move is part of a broader Republican strategy that uses transgender rights as a divisive political issue. Over the past two years, House Republicans have consistently introduced legislation to roll back transgender rights. 

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Republican-led state legislatures have also sought to mandate bathroom use based on sex assigned at birth in government facilities.

Mace’s proposal arrives as the GOP uses transgender issues to appeal to conservative voters. During the last election, transgender rights became a focal point, with Republican leaders, including Donald Trump, criticizing Democratic stances on the matter.

Sarah McBride, who is in Washington for her orientation as a new Congress member, called the bathroom controversy an unnecessary distraction. “I’m not here to fight about bathrooms,” McBride said, vowing to follow the rules despite her disagreement. She emphasized her focus on addressing the real challenges facing the country.

McBride acknowledged that attacks from far-right Republicans over her identity were expected but expressed surprise at the immediacy of the backlash.

The decision to enforce bathroom restrictions in the Capitol highlights the ongoing cultural and political debate surrounding transgender rights in the United States.

Critics argue that such measures stigmatize transgender individuals, while supporters contend they protect the integrity of single-sex spaces.