House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced a new policy Wednesday restricting transgender individuals from using restrooms in certain parts of the Capitol that align with their gender identity.
“All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings – including restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms – are reserved for individuals of that biological sex,” Johnson stated. He noted that each member’s office has a private restroom and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol.
The issue gained attention earlier in the week when Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., introduced a resolution to bar transgender women from using women’s restrooms, following the recent election of Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., as the first openly transgender member of Congress. McBride responded by affirming her compliance with Johnson’s policy while emphasizing her legislative priorities.
“I’m not here to fight about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families,” McBride said. The Hill first reported Johnson’s decision.
Under House rules, the Speaker has control over House-assigned areas of the Capitol, including restrooms and corridors. However, how the policy will be enforced remains unclear, given the thousands of individuals working in Congress, and the policy’s applicability to more than just lawmakers.
The timing of the announcement, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals lost to violence, drew sharp criticism.
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc., chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, condemned the decision. “Speaker Johnson’s holier-than-thou decree to ban transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their identity is a cruel and unnecessary rule that puts countless staff, interns, and visitors to the United States Capitol at risk,” Pocan said in a statement.
LGBTQ advocacy groups also criticized the move. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson described the policy as “cruel and discriminatory,” accusing Johnson of prioritizing harm over addressing the needs of the American people.
