Chelsea Manning joins other trans rights activists in a protest outside of Speaker Mike Johnson’s office over the GOP’s anti-trans policies. Photo: Jen Bendery.
Dear Commons Community,
More than a dozen transgender rights activists were arrested yesterday after staging a protest in a women’s bathroom right next to the office of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who recently imposed a ban on transgender and nonbinary people using bathrooms in the House that align with their gender identity.
Chelsea Manning, the trans activist and former U.S. military intelligence analyst imprisoned for seven years for disclosing classified information to the public, was among the people who quietly gathered in a bathroom on the fifth floor of the Cannon building, which is part of the House complex.
Their surprise demonstration was in response to Johnson’s new House policy, but also aimed at Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who has introduced at least two bills in recent weeks at pushing transgender people out of public spaces. As reported by The Huffington Post.
Mace admitted the first of her bills, which would bar House lawmakers and employees from using House bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity, is “100%” targeted at one person: transgender Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.). Her second bill is aimed at barring bathroom access for transgender people in all federal buildings, including public schools and universities, national parks and even airports, train stations and bus terminals.
For about 20 minutes, Manning and others took over the public bathroom by Johnson’s office and led chants while holding up a banner that read, “FLUSH BATHROOM BIGOTRY.” Outside in the hall, right in front of Johnson’s office door, more activists shouted chants and held a massive sign that read, “CONGRESS STOP PISSING ON OUR RIGHTS.”
“Speaker Johnson! Nancy Mace! Our bodies are no debate!” chanted the group. They took aim at Democratic lawmakers, too, for not doing more to protect trans rights, which Republicans have been aggressively attacking for months.
“Democrats, grow a spine!” chanted the activists. “Trans lives are on the line!”
Capitol Police eventually showed up and arrested 15 of them. The group behind the protest, Gender Liberation Movement, was prepared for the arrests.
“Everyone deserves to use the restroom without fear of discrimination or violence. Trans folks are no different. We deserve dignity and respect and we will fight until we get it,” Raquel Willis, the group’s co-founder, said in a statement.
“In the 2024 election, trans folks were left to fend for ourselves after nearly $200 million of attack ads were disseminated across the United States,” she said. “Now, as Republican politicians try to remove us from public life, Democratic leaders are silent as hell.”
Manning, whose prison sentence was commuted in 2017 by former President Barack Obama, said she was participating in the protest because “every person deserves dignity and respect, both in daily life and in more symbolic places” like the U.S. Capitol building.
“As someone who has fought against similar rules, I know what it’s like to feel pushed aside and erased,” she said in a statement. “But I also know the incredible power and resilience our community has. I’m not here as a leader or a spokesperson but simply as another member of my community who shows up unconditionally to support my siblings in this fight. I will stand beside them no matter what. We didn’t start this fight, but we are together now.”
Johnson’s bathroom ban is broader than people may realize: It prohibits any transgender or nonbinary House lawmaker, staff member, intern or even visitors from the public from using a bathroom in the House complex — that includes the House side of the Capitol building and all House buildings — that corresponds with their gender identity.
It’s not clear at all how the speaker plans to enforce this.
Tony
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