A group of transgender rights activists staged a protest Thursday near House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office on Capitol Hill, opposing a new policy that restricts bathroom use based on biological sex. The demonstration, organized by the Gender Liberation Movement, resulted in 15 arrests for illegal protesting in the Cannon House Office Building, according to U.S. Capitol Police.
Protesters occupied a restroom and blocked a hallway, holding signs that read, “Ban on bathroom bigotry.” Among those detained was Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst known for leaking classified military documents in 2010. Manning, whose 35-year prison sentence was commuted by President Obama in 2017, was led away in zip ties, according to The Hill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, announced the bathroom policy in November following efforts by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) to prevent transgender individuals from using facilities that do not align with their biological sex. This policy comes ahead of the January swearing-in of Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-DE), the first openly transgender lawmaker in Congress. McBride, a biological male who identifies as female, has drawn attention from conservative lawmakers over potential restroom use.
Mace also introduced a resolution to formally ban biological males from women’s restrooms on Capitol Hill. She posted a video outside a Capitol Police station Thursday after the arrests, underscoring her support for the new policy.
The bathroom policy has sparked debates over privacy, safety, and transgender rights in public spaces. Supporters argue the policy protects the privacy of women in single-sex facilities, while opponents claim it discriminates against transgender individuals. The protests on Thursday highlight growing tensions over the issue, with activists vowing to continue their opposition to what they view as restrictive and harmful policies.
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