Republican Nancy Mace, who has recently been in a fight over bathroom rights with the transgender community, previously described herself as “pro-transgender rights” in a resurfaced interview.
The South Carolina representative introduced a bathroom ban earlier this month that would require all members of Congress and employees to use the bathroom that matches their “biological sex.”
However, in a recently resurfaced interview on CBS News’ The Takeout from May 2023, Mace declared herself “pro-transgender rights” and “pro-LGBTQ.”
“If they wanna take on a different pronoun or a different gender identity or grow their hair out, or wear a dress or wear pants, or do those things as a minor — those are all things that I think most people would support. Be who you want to be, but don’t make permanent changes as a child,” Mace said on CBS News.
Mace introduced the bathroom ban after it was declared that Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride, who is transgender, won her election, meaning she will serve in the House beginning in January.
When asked about the previous interview clip, Mace told CNN that she has no problems with gender expression, but that her problems are with transgender women using single sex spaces such as bathrooms.
“Voted for gay marriage twice. Would do it again. Have supported pro LGBTQ legislation. Draw the line at women being forced to undress in front of men or men using our bathrooms or any private spaces,” Mace said in text messages to CNN.
The pandemic kept all of us from fully celebrating Pride here in the Lowcountry in 2020.
But hopefully, as we finally begin to open back up, we can all come together to celebrate the challenges our LGBTQ+ has overcome, and the bright future ahead. #PrideMonth #Pride2021 pic.twitter.com/bJ86bmMSoA
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) June 4, 2021
The representative’s previous support for the LGBTQ+ community also resurfaced in a previous tweet she posted in June 2021, in which Mace expressed hope for finding ways to celebrate Pride Month during the pandemic and “to celebrate the challenges our LGBTQ+ has overcome, and the bright future ahead.”
McBride, who will be the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, said in a statement in the days following Mace’s introduction of the bill that she would follow the rules directed in the bill, “even if I disagree with them.”
“I’m not here to fight about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families,” McBride said in a statement to X.
