Delaware’s U.S. Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, set to make history as the first openly transgender member of Congress in January, has responded to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s recent decision to prohibit transgender individuals from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity in House-controlled facilities.
Johnson’s policy, announced on Transgender Day of Remembrance, mandates that single-sex bathrooms in the Capitol complex be used according to one’s gender assigned at birth.
McBride addressed the issue in a composed statement, emphasizing her focus on the needs of Delaware families rather than engaging in what she termed divisive culture wars.
I’m not here to fight about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families, McBride said. She added that she would comply with the new rules despite her disagreement.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates, Democratic lawmakers, and human rights organizations, who have denounced the policy as discriminatory and counterproductive. McBride, however, assured her constituents that the controversy has not deterred her from preparing to represent Delaware effectively.
“This effort to distract from the real issues facing this country hasn’t distracted me over the last several days, as I’ve remained hard at work preparing to represent the greatest state in the union come January,” she noted.
McBride also expressed optimism about fostering bipartisanship in Congress, building on her experience collaborating with Republicans in the Delaware state Senate.
“Serving in the 119th Congress will be the honor of a lifetime… I look forward to seeing the qualities that voters valued in my future colleagues and hope they will do the same with me,” she wrote.
Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, has also weighed in, announcing that he has formally requested a meeting with Speaker Johnson. In a post on social media, Pocan condemned the bathroom policy as cruel, completely unenforceable, and a pathway to abuse, harassment, and discrimination.
The policy has sparked a broader conversation about inclusion and equity in Congress, with advocates and lawmakers urging leadership to prioritize pressing national issues over divisive measures.