Summary
During a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) repeatedly shouted an anti-trans slur despite objections from Democratic Rep. Gerald Connolly.
She defended her remarks by attacking transgender rights and dismissing criticism.
The outburst drew condemnation from LGBTQ+ advocates and political figures, highlighting her shift from previously supporting LGBTQ+ rights to embracing anti-trans rhetoric.
Mace has used the slur in past statements and introduced legislation restricting transgender rights.
I don’t think kompromat is necessary. These are power-hungry and attention-hungry people. They’ll say and do whatever panders to the people who will pay attention to them in the moment. J K Rowling didn’t need to be blackmailed to go from saying she supported transgender rights to becoming one of the Internet’s worst purveyors of trans-hate. Many other “influencers” have gone the same route, including a few who are trans themselves. (Matt Bernstein has some good videos about these people.) Overt transphobia is a thing you can do to score cheap points with ignorant people and get attention, approval and money. There’s enough motivation there for a certain kind of character, with no need for blackmail.
My point with Mace is her transition on public stance - she ran in part on a more tolerant, realistic view than most. I don’t remember rowling speaking of any tolerance before she showed herself as a villain - she just went from quiet to loud.