Sen. Josh Hawley Accused Of Making Transphobic Comments During Senate Hearing

During a Senate committee hearing over Roe v. Wade, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) made transphobic remarks about Khiara Bridges, a law professor at UC Berkeley School of Law.

The heated exchange happened during a hearing on the effects of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“You refer to ‘people with a capacity for pregnancy.’ Would that be women?” Hawley asked Bridges.

The professor explained the diversity of the term “people with capacity for pregnancy,” stating that transgender and nonbinary people are included in talks about pregnancy.

“Many women, cis women, have the capacity for pregnancy; many cis women do not have the capacity for pregnancy,” the law professor explained. “There are also trans men who are capable of pregnancy, as well as non-binary people who are capable of pregnancy.”

Afterward, Hawley questioned Bridges about what “the core of this right, then, is about.”

Bridges responded and stated Hawley’s questions were teetering on the edge of transphobia.

“I want to recognize that your line of questioning is transphobic and it opens up trans people to violence by not recognizing them,” Bridges stated.

“Is this how you run your classroom? Are students allowed to question you or are they also treated like this?” Hawley responded.

“We have a good time in my class,” Bridges shot back. “You should join. You might learn a lot.”

The exchange highlighted Hawley’s frequent outbursts at guests during Senate hearings. In the past, Hawley has been an outspoken critic of left-leaning politicians and executives.