House Republicans are pushing for an amendment to be included in next weeks vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would ban transgender individuals from serving openly in the military.
The bill, which was introduced by Rep.-elect Sarah McBride of Delaware and backed by GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson, states that all single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms are reserved for individuals of that biological sex. However, it does not explicitly ban transgender service members from serving openly.
Despite this ambiguity, many LGBTQ advocates have expressed concern about the potential impact of the amendment on transgender military personnel.
Queer and transgender youth march from Union Station to U.S. Capitol grounds in Washington D.C., March 31, 2023
Transgender rights have dominated the conversation on both sides of the aisle over the past few years.
Despite making up around 1% of the population, LGBTQ individuals are frequently used as a wedge issue by politicians seeking to mobilize conservative voters.
Just take a look at our incoming president who spent more than $21 million in the last month of his presidential campaign alone on anti-trans ads focused on their participation in sports, which bathrooms they use, and whether they can serve for their country.
He also scolded former presidential opponent Kamala Harris over gender-affirming care for incarcerated peoplea policy he also followed during his first term.
Despite this increasingly hateful rhetoric toward transgender people has sparked hundreds of bills over the past few years targeting this minoritys access to basic human rights.
Most recently, the topic of medical care for transgender youth made it all the way to the Supreme Court in a case known as U.S. v. Skrmetti which was argued on Dec 4 and is pending decision
This ban ACLU spokesperson Gillian Branstetter told Daily Kos is similar to abortion bans and stripping away bodily autonomy, or the right to make decisions about ones own body.
Ire has grown even on Capitol Hill as representatives like Nancy Mace a Republican from South Carolina turn into hate-spewing machines over the presence of a single transgender member of Congress.
A bill introduced by Rep-elect Sarah McBride of Delaware and backed by GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson states that all single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms are reserved for individuals of that biological sex.
However this policy wont keep her from continuing to fulfill her purpose in D.C.
Im not here to fight about bathrooms, McBride said Im here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families Like all members I will follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson even if I disagree with them.