Mace once hailed herself as a lawmaker who ‘strongly support[s]’ LGBTQ rights

Summary

During a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) repeatedly shouted an anti-trans slur despite objections from Democratic Rep. Gerald Connolly.

She defended her remarks by attacking transgender rights and dismissing criticism.

The outburst drew condemnation from LGBTQ+ advocates and political figures, highlighting her shift from previously supporting LGBTQ+ rights to embracing anti-trans rhetoric.

Mace has used the slur in past statements and introduced legislation restricting transgender rights.

  • Snapz@lemmy.world
    27·
    18 hours ago

    We need to speak more regularly about how these people obviously have kompromat on them and are being actively blackmailed - no sympathy as they are garbage humans regardless, but these changes in stance are so swift and violent. These people often have a history of not caring or even supporting these issues, before they become over the top, performative hate mouthpieces - it’s so obvious that they were basically told by Republican operatives at some point, “you’re gonna do what we say or we are going to fucking end your pleasant life”. Again, no sympathy there because the underlying subtext is that these people do shit horrible enough that they can be blackmailed with it. But this is Mace as recently as 2023:

    “I’m pro-transgender rights,” she told CBS News’ The Takeout in May 2023. “I’m pro-LGBTQ.” The Republican lawmaker made the comments while saying she opposed gender-affirming care for minors. “Sex change surgery, the hormone blockers that sterilize our children, we shouldn’t be doing that,” Mace said. “Now, if they want to 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 those permanent changes when it’s a child,” she added.

    Not a perfect position by any means, but centuries away from what she is today.

    And here is after she was first elected in '21:

    She was one of the only Republicans to sponsor the Serving Our LGBTQ Veterans Act in 2021, which proposed establishing a Center for LGBTQ Veterans within the Department of Veterans Affairs. That same year, she even called for “transgender equality” while asserting herself as a pro-LGBTQ+ rights lawmaker. “I strongly support LGBTQ rights and equality,” Mace told the Washington Examiner. “No one should be discriminated against.” “It isn’t a black-and-white issue,” Mace added. “I do believe that religious liberty, the First Amendment, gay rights, and transgender equality can all coexist. I’m also a constitutionalist, and we have to ensure anti-discrimination laws don’t violate First Amendment rights or religious freedom.”

    • ploot@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      10·
      10 hours ago

      I don’t think kompromat is necessary. These are power-hungry and attention-hungry people. They’ll say and do whatever panders to the people who will pay attention to them in the moment. J K Rowling didn’t need to be blackmailed to go from saying she supported transgender rights to becoming one of the Internet’s worst purveyors of trans-hate. Many other “influencers” have gone the same route, including a few who are trans themselves. (Matt Bernstein has some good videos about these people.) Overt transphobia is a thing you can do to score cheap points with ignorant people and get attention, approval and money. There’s enough motivation there for a certain kind of character, with no need for blackmail.

      • Snapz@lemmy.world
        1·
        9 hours ago

        My point with Mace is her transition on public stance - she ran in part on a more tolerant, realistic view than most. I don’t remember rowling speaking of any tolerance before she showed herself as a villain - she just went from quiet to loud.

        • analoghobbyist@lemmy.world
          1·
          1 hour ago

          Not the person you were replaying to, but the winds of power have shifted and she is trimming her sails accordingly. She may have run espousing LGBTQ+ policies because that was the smart political thing to do, but now that Musk, et al are in power, these people can drop their “politically correct” act and show us who they really are, which is a bunch of intolerant, power-hungry fascists.