Marjorie Taylor Greene sounds alarm on “apocalyptic” trans bill of rights

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene railed against a new bill that would strengthen protections for the transgender community across the United States.

Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat, introduced the Trans Bill of Rights to the House of Representatives late last month. If passed, it would provide a framework for new legal protections to the transgender community by updating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include gender identity and taking other actions to ensure equal treatment.

The resolution came as many in the LGBTQ+ community have raised new concerns about rising anti-transgender rhetoric and policies from conservatives. A number of Republican-led states have passed legislation that advocates warn chips away at transgender rights. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), at least 452 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across the country.

Jayapal’s legislation was met with condemnation from Greene, a Georgia Republican who has become a leading conservative voice in Congress and has opposed LGBTQ+ rights. In a series of tweets posted Monday morning, Greene spoke out against the bill, which she said is a “weapon to destroy all of our rights.”

“They want to amend the Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to ban discrimination based on gender identity,” Greene wrote. “That means Trans become a protected class and women’s rights are totally and completely annihilated. Men pretending to be women would not just be equal to women in all areas, they would be preferred and above all women, essentially replacing women.”

She decried the legislation as a violation of religious liberty designed to “push a political movement that is based on absolute evil lies.” She also predicted that the bill would lead to “riots” and accused supporters of the bill of trying to “normalize pedophilia,” a term that has historically been used to malign LGBTQ+ individuals and is viewed by many as a baseless slur.

“The Trans Bill of Rights is just like the Green New Deal when it was first introduced,” Green wrote. “It seems absurd, ridiculous, and unserious to many. But it is absolutely serious. Not only serious, but radically transformative and dangerous to an apocalyptic level.”

Jayapal defended the legislation as necessary to protect transgender rights amid “hateful” rhetoric from Republicans after introducing the legislation.

“Day after day, we see the GOP villainizing and otherizing trans people in dangerous and hateful ways. My landmark Trans Bill of Rights is a comprehensive framework to provide protections and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” Jayapal tweeted last month.

What Does Trans Bill of Rights Say?

The Trans Bill of Rights would lay the framework for a number of actions to strengthen transgender rights across the United States, according to Jayapal’s office.

In addition to calling for an update to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the bill would call for lawmakers to pass legislation clarifying that it is illegal to discriminate against transgender individuals in employment, housing, and credit, Jayapal’s office wrote in a press release announcing the bill.

In schools, the legislation would urge policies ensuring that transgender students can participate in school sports as well as “ensuring access to an inclusive curriculum.” The bill would also call for the expansion of gender-affirming health care, protections for transgender people from health care discrimination and for investments into community services to protect them against violence.

It would also require the U.S. attorney general to “designate a liaison within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice dedicated to advising and overseeing enforcement of the civil rights of transgender people.”

Several Democratic lawmakers co-sponsored the legislation, but it remains to be seen if it could pass the GOP-controlled House. Senator Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, introduced the Trans Bill of Rights in the Senate.

Newsweek reached out to Jayapal’s and Greene’s offices via email for comment.