BREAKING: House Hearing Cut Short After GOP Lawmaker Misgenders Rep. Sarah McBride
McBride is the first out transgender person elected to Congress.
A House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing ended abruptly on Tuesday following a heated exchange over the misgendering of Rep. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.
During the hearing on U.S. foreign policy and arms control, Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) addressed McBride (D-Del.) using the incorrect pronoun:
“I now recognize the representative from Delaware, Mr. McBride.”
McBride responded without hesitation, thanking Self and pointedly addressing him as “Madam Chair.”
The interaction prompted Rep. Bill Keating (D-Mass.), the subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, to intervene, urging Self to repeat his remarks. Instead, Self doubled down, once again calling McBride “mister” and asserting, “We have set the standard on the House floor.”
Keating pushed back, calling the comments inappropriate.
“Mr. Chairman, you are out of order,” he stated. “Mr. Chairman, have you no decency? I mean, I have come to know you a little bit, but this is not decent.”
As tensions rose, Self attempted to move forward with the hearing, but Keating stood firm.
“You will not continue it with me unless you introduce a duly elected representative the right way,” Keating insisted.
Rather than comply, Self abruptly struck his gavel and adjourned the hearing. As attendees began leaving, Keating placed a reassuring hand on McBride’s shoulder.
McBride later expressed disappointment over the hearing’s premature end.
“I was prepared to move forward with my questions for the Subcommittee on nuclear nonproliferation and U.S. support for democratic allies in Europe,” she said in a statement.
Neither Self nor Keating immediately responded to requests for comment. However, Self later defended his actions on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female.”
Self’s comments echo a recent executive order by President Donald Trump, issued on January 20, reinforcing the federal government’s stance on sex and gender recognition.
This incident is not the first time McBride has been misgendered by Republican colleagues. Last month, Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) referred to McBride as “the gentleman from Delaware” on the House floor. The Congressional Record initially corrected Miller’s statement but later reverted to her original phrasing.
McBride, who made history with her election in November, has faced ongoing opposition from some GOP lawmakers. Shortly after her victory, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) proposed a resolution restricting transgender women from using female restrooms in the Capitol. Mace later confirmed the measure was specifically aimed at McBride.
Despite these challenges, McBride remains focused on her legislative work. In an interview with NBC News, she dismissed the bathroom policy controversy as an attempt to distract from her role, emphasizing that those who break barriers must be strategic in choosing their battles.
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This induces such rage in me. I despise these bigots. Props to both Ms. McBride and her colleague for sticking up for her ❤️
It seems that the Republicans can’t get past their divisive culture war and get down to what they were elected to do.
It’s no wonder that the public is disgusted with politics when their representatives are more interested in a colleague’s gender than in doing their actual jobs.
Respect for Ms. McBride for rising above the fray.