Nancy Mace Co-Sponsored a Transgender Rights Bill in 2021
Nancy Mace’s flip-flop on transgender rights is a betrayal of equality
Written for MeidasTouch by J.D. Wolf
Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) has taken a baffling and deeply disappointing turn in her stance on transgender rights. In 2021, she co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act, a bill seeking to protect LGBTQ+ Americans from discrimination while balancing religious liberty.
At the time, Mace tweeted:
"I strongly support LGBTQ rights. No one should be discriminated against.
Religious liberty, gay rights, and transgender equality can all coexist."
The bill banned discrimination based on gender identity while providing select religious exemptions. However, Mace’s recent introduction of legislation banning transgender women from accessing women’s restrooms at the Capitol marks a stark departure from those principles.
Nancy Mace: "I strongly support LGBTQ rights. No one should be discriminated against."
This shift may be a calculated political move in response to pressure from her right-wing base. During her 2022 primary, Mace faced harsh criticism from her opponent for her previous support of the transgender rights bill.
The conservative American Principles PAC even ran attack ads against her, painting her as out of touch with conservative values for her inclusive stance. The ad accused Mace of allowing “men in girls’ locker rooms, female prisons, and even women’s shelters.”
Rather than standing firm in her commitment to equality, Mace appears to have caved to political expediency, choosing to appease critics instead of upholding her stated principles. She has now adopted the language of the extreme right and flip-flopped once again.
Her new legislation, under the guise of protecting “privacy and safety,” is aimed at incoming Representative Sarah McBride, a trans woman. The bill singles out an already vulnerable population, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and fostering division.
Such rhetoric ignores the fact that there is no evidence linking transgender people’s access to restrooms with safety risks. Instead, it contributes to the marginalization and stigmatization of transgender individuals, who already face higher rates of violence and discrimination.
If Mace truly wants to protect women at the Capitol, perhaps she should introduce a bill banning Marjorie Taylor Greene—who also wants to bar McBride—from the women’s restroom. After all, it was Greene who reportedly fought with Lauren Boebert in a Capitol bathroom over a disagreement about former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Sarah McBride has more class in her fingertip than Nancy Mace, Mike Johnson and the entire GOP conference in their bloated bodies. This is a disgrace AND a distraction. Baffle the people with shitty "wedge" issues - in this case basic human rights - while you steal from the poor to give to the rich, deregulate the whole country and destroy the climate. Shame on these traitors.
Mace seems to be mentally unbalanced and only seeking attention. Many of her staff have resigned because of it. How she gets re-elected, I will never understand.