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The confrontation came at the end of a week when Mace introduced measures in Congress targeting transgender people.
Tensions boiled over during Project Liberty’s “Summit on the Future of the Internet” at Georgetown University’s Capitol campus in Washington, D.C., recently, as U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, confronted South Carolina Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace over her anti-trans rhetoric following the ejection of trans rights activist Evan Greer from the event.
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Greer, director of Fight for the Future, interrupted the panel discussion to call out Mace’s inflammatory remarks and broader attacks on transgender rights. Holding an LGBTQ+ Pride flag, Greer accused Mace of spreading dangerous lies. “We’ve had dozens of trans people die this year because of the lies you’re spreading,” Greer said, drawing applause from the audience before being escorted out by security.
Mace continued to make derogatory comments, referring to transgender identities as “a mental illness,” misgendering Greer and then spoke about Greer's genitalia. The crowd booed Mace's remarks.
Khanna pushed back against Mace, advocating for the dignity and rights of transgender individuals. “We just have a profound disagreement on this issue,” he said, defending the need for fairness and inclusion. Mace responded by accusing Khanna of being “anti-woman.”
The confrontation came at the end of a week when Mace introduced controversial measures in Congress targeting transgender people. One proposal aimed at barring Delaware Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress, from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol has been widely condemned as an unprecedented attack on a Congressional colleague. Mace also introduced federal legislation to ban transgender people from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity on federal property, including post offices and military bases.
Critics, including LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers, have decried these measures as politically motivated. New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned that such actions create a culture of suspicion that endangers all women.
“I think that Representative McBride deserves dignity and fairness,” Khanna said to Mace.
Khanna has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In a 2023 interview with The Advocate, he likened current attacks on the trans community to the discrimination faced by gay and lesbian Americans in the 1970s. “The fundamental value of the Democratic Party is to stand up for those who are most vulnerable,” Khanna said at the time, adding that silence in the face of hate allows harmful narratives to take root.
Related: Ro Khanna: Democratic Lawmakers Must Take a Stand for Transgender Rights
However, Greer, who acknowledged Khanna’s push-back against Mace, later criticized Khanna for his support of the Kids Online Safety Act, legislation that advocates say could censor LGBTQ+ content online. “If Rep. Khanna wants to be an ally to trans people, he can do more than say so—he can fight for policies that will protect us,” Greer said in a statement to The Advocate.
Khanna responded to Greer’s criticism. “I deeply respect Evan Greer’s activism and courageous advocacy for trans rights. During my exchange with Rep. Mace, I stood up for Rep. McBride and reaffirmed that everyone should be treated with respect," Khanna told The Advocate in an email. "I am open to dialogue about how we ensure the Kids Online Safety Act protects both LGBTQ rights and kids’ safety.”
After the incident, Greer also posted online about what happened to her. She said she was handled roughly by security while being escorted out. In her reflection post, she wrote, "I’m just one trans femme punk rocker with a loud voice. I don’t have all the answers. But I hope that by speaking up, I can move us toward calling the question."
Mace’s actions are part of a larger Republican strategy to use trans rights as a wedge issue, particularly ahead of the incoming Trump administration. LGBTQ+ advocates argue that these attacks perpetuate harmful stereotypes while distracting from pressing issues like housing and healthcare.
Earlier in the week, McBride dismissed Mace’s actions as political gamesmanship. “Delawareans sent me here to make the American dream more affordable and accessible,” McBride said. “We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, healthcare, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars.”
Editor's note: This story was updated with remarks by Rep. Ro Khanna.
Watch the confrontation at the Project Liberty conference below.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
