I support McBride's choice to let the bathroom debate go

Quiet dignity like hers often wins the battle in the long run

As a woman of color, I get it—I truly do.

Every day is a fight to be recognized as part of the American story, to claim a stake in the American dream, and to be seen as a vital part of the body politic. Every election, our humanity and basic rights are up for debate because, to many, we are an afterthought—not integral, not "belonging."

This relentless fight takes its toll.

We can’t fight every battle without risking constant exhaustion, leaving little space to simply live and experience joy. And that’s exactly what those who oppose our existence want—us defeated, consumed by our scars, while they revel in their privilege, untouched and indifferent.

But joy must be our rebellion. Choosing it daily, even when it’s hard, is an act of defiance—a way to thrive despite the weight of oppression.

It allows us to preserve our energy, our spirit, and our focus for the battles that matter most, ensuring we survive long enough to win the war that truly counts.

McBride’s struggle for human dignity on Capitol Hill

All eyes are on DC, where Nancy Mace has gone full mean girl, targeting Sarah McBride, the first trans woman elected to Congress, with a slew of transphobic texts and slurs.

As my favorite Substack pundit, Jeff Tiedrich, put it:

Nancy Mace, who has now made it her life’s work to be as cruel to Sarah McBride as possible. Mace’s twitter feed has become a non-stop stream of transphobia — and she’s been shrieking at the top of her lungs about the bathrooms! oh my god, the bathrooms! what will we do about the bathrooms? — Jeff Tiedrich — You Are Entitled to My Own Opinion

Speaker Mike Johnson, ever the spineless enabler, high-fived this nonsense and made it official.

And how did Sarah respond?

With grace and determination. She issued this difficult but powerful statement: "I’m not here to fight about bathrooms; I’m here to bring down costs facing families."

While some might feel she should’ve hit back harder, I respect her choice.

She’s not backing down—she’s standing tall, showing Mace and Johnson for the bullies they are. Sarah highlights Mace’s obsession with petty, cruel theatrics by staying focused on real issues. Nancy Mace worries about bathrooms; Sarah McBride is working hard for her constituents.

Ron Filipkowski and Jasmine Crockett hit the nail on the head in Meidas Touch’s latest Substack Congresswoman Crockett Gives Ron Filipkowski a Shout-Out:

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett linked arms with Filipkowski, posting a sharp, focused, and highly relevant response to the transphobic attacks on Sarah McBride

When I see representatives like Jasmine Crockett embodying dignity, humanity, and intelligence in this manner, I can’t help but wonder why Republican voters consistently choose the opposite in figures like Nancy Mace and Mike Johnson.

Voters put these individuals in office, and instead of focusing on meaningful governance, they’re using their power to target one person while the nation braces for the fallout of looming mass deportations.

sigh

I wrote this in a comment section of the Meidas Touch article because—what the holy fuck with Mace’s crap?

What frustrates me most about transphobic rhetoric is how little these people actually know about what they’re condemning. My father was a gay man, and I grew up surrounded by trans folks. Trans people didn’t just “appear” because of so-called wokeism—they’ve always existed. They’ve always been marginalized, harmed, and misunderstood.

The trans individuals I knew were some of the most loving and uplifting people. Sure, any group can have bad actors, but that has not been my experience at all. In fact, they represent the best among us—resilient, compassionate, and courageous in the face of relentless hatred.

Republicans, lacking real policies, rely on stoking hate and division. They scapegoat trans people and weaponize ignorance to rally their base. Even worse, they’ve manipulated some Democrats into parroting these divisive narratives by blaming “wokeism.” So, I ask: if we let this happen, who will fight for trans people?

It’s disgusting to see misinformation and fear-mongering dominate the conversation. As we’ve seen, low-information voters don’t even understand what being trans means. Until they are properly educated, ignorance will keep winning this side of the culture war.

But that doesn’t mean we stop fighting. It means we fight harder. We fight until America understands. We fight until America wakes up and realizes the value of every single human being—because equality and dignity are worth every ounce of the struggle.

Fiery, outspoken Democrats like Jasmine Crockett and AOC are cutting through the noise and calling this performative nonsense what it truly is—bullshit.

Claiming to "protect women" by doing what exactly? Enforcing bathroom and genital checks?

Let’s be real—that’s not protection. It’s a dangerous gateway that primes women and young girls for invasive violations, sexual assault, and abuse. Enough with the theatrics—this isn’t safeguarding anyone, it’s weaponized cruelty.

“What Nancy Mace and what Speaker Johnson are doing are endangering all women and girls — because if you ask them ‘what is your plan on how to enforce this?’ they won’t come up with an answer. what it inevitably results in are women and girls who are primed for assault, because people are going to want to check their private parts, and suspecting who is trans, and who is cis, and who’s doing what. and so the idea that Nancy Mace wants little girls and women to drop trou in front of who? an investigator? who will that be? … it’s disgusting. it is disgusting. — AOC

Tell it, gurl!

Nothing Republicans do is about helping people—it’s always about power, control, and stoking division. The truth will become undeniable in the months ahead, though by then it may be too late.

In the meantime, I urge Democrats to reject the tired, bad-faith narrative of “losing to wokeism” and stand firm as champions for the marginalized. If Democrats falter, abandoning their role as allies, those without a voice will be left utterly defenseless—and that’s exactly what the haters want.

This fight is bigger than politics; it’s about humanity. Let’s not give them the satisfaction of winning through fear and apathy.