DISAGREE WITH A DEM? VIOLENCE! Hawley Accused of Transphobic Questions at Hearing

During Tuesday’s Senate hearing on the impacts of overturning Roe v. Wade, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) got into a heated exchange with Berkeley law professor Khiara Bridges over, what she describes, as a transphobic line of questioning —one that could encourage violence on the trans community.

“You’ve referred to people with a capacity for pregnancy, would that be women?” the senator asked Bridges.

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

Hawley followed up: “your view, the core of this right is about what?”

“I want to recognize that your line of questioning is transphobic, and it opens up trans people to violence,” Bridges responded.

“Wow. Are you saying that I’m opening up people to violence by asking whether or not women can have pregnancies,” Hawley asked her, adding “Because of my line of questioning? So we can’t talk about it?”

“Do you believe that men can get pregnant?” Bridges asked Hawley.

“No, I don’t think men can get pregnant,” Hawley responded.

“So you’re denying that trans people exist,” Bridges said, to which Hawley asked again “and that leads to violence?”

Hawley shared the exchange on Twitter:

“The Democrats say what they really think: men can get pregnant and if you disagree, you are “transphobic” and responsible for violence.”

“For today’s left, disagreement with them = violence. So you must not disagree,” Hawley added.