262 Comments
User's avatar
Shannon McKinnion's avatar

She gave an inch, they're going to take a 1000 miles now

Sem's avatar

I am so angry to see her cave in. She’s failing Tim Snyder’s first rule on opposing tyranny. And this after Rep. Jeffries came out swinging against this bathroom ban??? Seriously????😐🤬

JjMc's avatar

There is no way for her to shoulder the weight of the entire war against transgender people. This is not just her burden. She is free to make decisions. It is everyone else’s burden, especially non-trans folks, especially people in positions of power and influence, to fight this battle at every opportunity and cost.I am so very happy she got elected.

Anne & those cats…'s avatar

I agree. ALL the Democrats in the House need to be the ones opposing this—not Sarah McBride. Michelle Vallet is trying to make a point about how she wants to be represented, but the reality is Mike Johnson is doing a horrific thing—and Vallet is angry at McBride! I’m hearing Sarah McBride being the one attacked by her own community. wtf?!? Johnson pulled off quite a coup with this one.

Shirley Gauthier she/her's avatar

Every Democrat should be ashamed. I have never been this ashamed to be a Democrat.

Their silence is deafening. :(

Jodi Coté's avatar

She's right to take the high road. Our community must stand together to stop this.

She was sent to Congress to legislate for the citizens of Delaware. Let her do her job. Johnson and Mace will get theirs.

Carol in MA's avatar

I understand that she didn’t want to die on this hill at this particular time, but it will not stop. When they call her “MR.” Will she correct them when they call her “Mr”? The battle has come to her, and they will not stop until her humiliation is complete.

Shannon McKinnion's avatar

EXACTLY. The next step is to require male pronouns and honorifics, male dress code, etc. They will not stop until they break or humiliate her and her staffers.

"Separate but Equal" didn't work in segregation times, and that's exactly what this is.

User's avatar
Comment removed
Nov 20, 2024
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Nicola A's avatar

It's hilarious that you paid Erin Reed money just so you can be an annoying bigot, lmao. Thanks for the donation to the cause!

Talia Perkins's avatar

No scare quotes !mb3c!l3. The ex of a person is not what makes anyone a man or a woman -- and it has been that way for all of humanity's existence.

Ryn's avatar

So wait other women who don’t have functional ovaries are… what gender then? 😂

Talia Perkins's avatar

They really are that stupid.

VEL's avatar

What a bizarre response. I'm surprised you felt comfortable saying this out loud.

Talia Perkins's avatar

And what makes someone a woman or a man is how their gender developed.

Testicles and ovaries are incidental to the matter -- as other examples prove, like de la Chapelle and CAIS.

Colin Wight simply has no idea what they are talking about. In that case they would become a very, very unhappy man with a female sex.

Jason Hagglund's avatar

I’m so furious and heartbroken that McBride is even being put in the position to have to make this kind of choice

Jason Hagglund's avatar

Like…does the party have her back? If she said “hell no I’m a woman”, would the rest of the caucus make the majority’s life a living hell until they caved?

If not then…as disappointing as it may be it’s probably not fair to insist that McBride fight alone on this.

Jennifer's avatar

This is heartbreaking.

Jennifer's avatar

And stupefying. I don’t get it at all.

Jetta Girl's avatar

Why would she even comply with him. Why lay down and let them win?

ranglecat's avatar

I have to wonder if defying the rules set by the House would be enough to get her expelled. The Republican caucus is certainly filled with enough ghouls to make that happen, and I'm sure they're waiting for any excuse. Walking into the "wrong" bathroom when someone like Nancy Mace is in there could easily result in a sexual harassment claim.

mistermix's avatar

What would happen is the same thing that happened to the Republicans who wanted to carry guns on the House floor. They were fined, and it's a lot of money (it was tens of thousands for people like MTG). I'm guessing Rep McBride doesn't have that kind of money. She's been a rep-elect for just a couple of weeks. Maybe give her some time to organize, first.

Talia Perkins's avatar

No, a 2/3rds majority is required to expel a member.

ranglecat's avatar

So every Republican plus about 1/3 of the Democratic caucus? Not a particularly high bar for this country.

Talia Perkins's avatar

No, I don't think they'd get that 1/3rd of Democrats. At all.

Brooke Ardile's avatar

I get that she's in a tight corner. Maybe there's a better game here though. Might be time for malicious compliance. She should hire some burly trans guys for her staff.

Sarah Davis's avatar

Malicious compliance across all trans aides, staffers and visitors is probably the way to go with this. Flood the men’s facilities with trans women and the women’s facilities with trans men.

When Republicans get uncomfortable (as they will, very quickly), smile sweetly and point out they can always use the unisex.

Some Random Trans Woman's avatar

Yeah, I don't want to put Ms. McBride in any danger, or tell her what she should do, but personally, I would malicious compliance the heck out of this situation. I'd use the gym and shower next to Mike Johnson every day. If he really thinks I'm a man, there's no reason he should be uncomfortable about that, right?

Mara Rafferty's avatar

This is such a sad day for the movement. I can only imagine how scary this is for Sarah, and how much incredible pressure she must be under, but it's sad that this will be the example that gets shown to the whole country. It's such a stark contrast with Zoey's incredible, inspiring bravery in the legislature, which strengthened a precedent of boldly fighting back! I hope our movement can elevate more leaders like Zoey who aren't afraid to stand strong in the face of massive pressures.

FkNzisFkSubstck's avatar

is the entire US an unmitigated loss? like, what is our actual strategy moving forward, as individual trans people with no political platforms. "Be gay, do crimes" and break bathroom laws etc and risk being throw into men's prisons to be v-coded? Quietly put our heads down and comply in advance with fascism? Go out in a blaze of glory against the people trying to hurt us (self defense) like the 2a fucks have been advocating for? Like please, what is the actual strategy here, politics aside? I literally just do not know

Sarah Davis's avatar

Malicious compliance. Trans men use women’s spaces; trans women use men’s. Embarrass the hell out of them until they grow up.

Some Random Trans Woman's avatar

Yeah, when I visited Kansas, I obeyed the bathroom bill. One guy thought he was in the wrong bathroom when he saw me, and left.

Michelle Paquette's avatar

She’s taking the higher road. This way the Republican caucus won’t be able to simply remove her seat for violating the rules. I know everyone is viewing this as caving in, but it comes down to this or leave the House.

I do hope we can see some massive malicious compliance, the sort of thing that highlights exactly how foolish these rules are.

Picture hundreds of trans visitors to the Capitol complex, all visibly and persistently using the “correct” facilities to the discomfort of every cisgender Republican woman and man. How will Rep. Mace feel about a half-dozen burly men in “her” facilities?

Contact your Congressional representatives for your visit!

Michelle Paquette's avatar

Now I’m wondering if the Speaker will demand that she wear a suit and tie in chambers or the Speaker’s Lobby.

“Speaker Mike Johnson confirming that she would be considered “a man” in House rules…”

Come swearing-in, will one of the usual Unspeakable Ones challenge on a trans-related matter, perhaps name, or wardrobe? I think McBride is up for the challenge, although it will be more prolonged than an afternoon with Posie Parker in her workplace.

Talia Perkins's avatar

It is already true they cannot remove her for disobeying any such rule. They need 2/3rds of the house to do so and they won't be getting that.

Michelle Paquette's avatar

Likely true, but Congresswoman-elect McBride has not yet been seated. She will have to get past challenges to even being seated. After that even if expulsion isn’t possible, the Speaker and cronies have a number of tools available, from censure and fines, to denying committee appointments (where much of the legislative work is actually done, and even refusing to recognize the member on the floor. None of this would help the Congresswoman, her state, her supporters, or trans folks.

Celeste Irwin's avatar

I am just wondering what she was hearing behind the scenes from her fellow democrats. Did they push her to this? Did she have reason to believe they wouldn’t rally behind her? That’s the only explanation I have for this that doesn’t make me profoundly disappointed in Rep. McBride.

Anne & those cats…'s avatar

Well, watching what’s happening now—with Mace announcing plans to spread this across Washington—sure seems like no Democrats are going to stand up for her. They don’t have her back. So when we do anti-bullying in schools, do we focus on the target/victim fighting the fight alone? We teach school kids the solution is to stand up FOR EACH OTHER. The ones to blame are Johnson and his ilk, and the ones to fight are all McBride’s colleagues—and all of US!

Celeste Irwin's avatar

Exactly - if she’s not feeling supported, then my outrage is first at the bullies (Johnson/Mace/etc) and second at those who are failing to stand with Rep. McBride. If she has no allies, then blaming her for doing what she needs to do to survive and work is inappropriate.

Lee Work's avatar

You know if the GOP is going from the perspective lf rules are rules, I wonder how feasible it would be to set up some sort of "sit in" so to speak where a sufficient number of transgender women went to use the mens restroom as a group during session breaks . . .

Brianna Amore's avatar

They sure didn't care about the rules when they refused to comply with mask rules.

Looking at you, Marge.

Anne & those cats…'s avatar

Yeah, ok…I’m going to stop reading the comments now. This (Johnson’s pronouncement/rule ) is BULLYING — how many people reading/commenting here are going to call or write your Congressperson and your Senators to tell them we expect them to STAND UP for McBride? And while you’re at it, how about giving Mike Johnson’s office a call?

Stop blaming McBride (who bravely ran and won and is a step in our progress). Silence is complicity.

Ivy's avatar

Can't speak for others, but I did contact my local representative and will continue to follow up. At the same time I am disheartened at the speed with which, and in general that McBride capitulated.

As others have said, this affects all trans personnel that work in the Capitol. She sets a precedent that Republicans will use against all other trans personnel that work and enter the building.

It also sets a precedent for all trans people that the first trans person elected to congress quickly fell in line with the Right's absurdities.

I know why she did it, and I respect the hell out of her for even being a public figure and making it as the first out trans person in congress. She will forever be recorded in history for what she has accomplished. As a public congressional figure her actions do hold more weight than everyday citizens and does open her up to more scrutiny.

In this case, many are saddened by the lack of initial fight.

Anne's avatar

I think all the women in the House, Senate, and their female staffers should all start using the men's room. If one woman has to go there - all of them should join her in solidarity.

Jess's avatar

This is what I would like to see. This has never been a battle that we trans folks should have to fight ourselves. This is when we need allies more than ever.

Anne's avatar

if I were there, I would do it!