Archive.today link
Some key excerpts:
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced Wednesday that transgender women are not permitted to use bathrooms in the Capitol that match their gender identity
The policy […] will also apply to bathrooms in House office buildings, changing rooms and locker rooms.
Johnson’s statement — which was made on Transgender Day of Remembrance, recognized annually to memorialize trans people who died due to anti-trans violence — comes days after Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) introduced a bill to bar transgender women from facilities on Capitol Hill that match their gender identity, a response to the election earlier this month of Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.).
McBride blasted Mace’s legislation earlier this week, calling it “a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing.”
Mace was threatening to force a vote on the matter prior to Johnson’s decision to formally announce the new policy; the congresswoman wanted the terms to be included in the rules package for the 119th Congress and said she would force a vote on the bill if that did not come to fruition.
This is especially vile to announce on Transgender Day of Remembrance; but I have no doubt in my mind that it was intentional.
This feels like a move made with the explicit purpose of hurting people as much as possible. (“The cruelty is the point.”)
To my knowledge, there is no legal recourse for this, but I am not a lawyer, so I could be wrong…
I know it likely won’t do much, but I do recommend calling your representatives. I asked mine to issue a statement saying that they will not be party to enforcing this rule. I hope they issue such a statement of solidarity soon 🤞
Time to put the Capitol Switchboard on speed dial, gonna be calling them a lot these next few years.
For those who don’t know, here’s the switchboard number:
202-224-3121
Call, tell them where you live, and they’ll connect you to your representative’s constituent services. It’ll only take you a few minutes, but they keep track of every call. It matters.
I usually try to call my Representative and Senators during my commute. The only tricky part is remembering the bill numbers.
I have the distinct impression I’m going to have something to say to them every day over the next four years…