WASHINGTON — In a heated exchange on Capitol Hill, a University of California Berkeley professor called a line of questioning from Senator Josh Hawley(R-Mo.) "transphobic" and said it could lead to violence against the transgender community.
UC Berkeley Professor Khiara Bridges testified during the Senate hearing on reproductive care in a post-Roe America. During her testimony, she used the term "people with the capacity for pregnancy," which led to an exchange between her and Hawley.
Hawley: "I just want to clear one thing up. Professor Bridges, you said several times, you've used a phrase, I want to make sure I understand what you mean by it. You've referred to 'people with the capacity for pregnancy,' would that be women?"
Bridges: "Many women, cis women, have a capacity for pregnancy, many cis women to not have the capacity for pregnancy. There are also trans men who are capable of pregnancy as well as non-binary people who are capable of pregnancy."
Hawley: "So this isn't really a women's rights issue..."
Bridges: "We can recognize that this impacts women while also recognizing that it impacts other groups, those things are not mutually exclusive, Senator Hawley."
Hawley: "So your view is that at the core of this right, then, is about what?"
Bridges: "So, I want to recognize that your line of questioning is transphobic and opens up trans people to violence by not recognizing them.”
Hawley: "Wow, you're saying I'm opening up people to violence by asking if women are the ones that can have pregnancies?"
Bridges: "I want to not that one out of five transgender persons have attempted suicide..."
Hawley: "Because of my line of questioning? So we can't talk about it?"
Bridges: "Because denying trans people exist and pretending not to know they exist..."
Hawley: "I'm denying that trans people exist by asking you if you are talking about women having pregnancies?"
Bridges: "Are you? So you believe men can get pregnant?"
Hawley: “No, I don’t think men can get pregnant.”
Bridges: “So you’re denying trans people exist, thank you.”
Hawley: “And that leads to violence? Is this how you run your classroom? Are students allowed to question you? Or are they also treated like this?”
Bridges: “Absolutely, they’re allowed to question. We have a good time in my class. You should join. You might learn a lot.”
Hawley: “I would learn a lot.”
