Sen. Josh Hawley and a legislation professor from Berkeley engaged in a heated back-and-forth about who can get pregnant at a Senate listening to on abortion Tuesday, with the trainer accusing the Republican of pursuing a “transphobic” line of questioning.
The Missouri Republican was questioning Khiara Bridges on the Senate Judiciary Committee listening to in regards to the abortion restriction case Dobbs v. Jackson Ladies’s Well being Group that led the Supreme Court docket to strike down Roe v. Wade final month.
The testy trade started when Hawley mentioned he wished to “clear one factor up” and requested Bridges if she meant girls when she used the phrase “folks with a capability for being pregnant.”
Bridges mentioned that “many ladies, cis girls, have the capability for being pregnant. Many cis girls shouldn’t have the capability for being pregnant. There are additionally trans males who’re able to being pregnant in addition to non-binary people who find themselves able to being pregnant.”
Is abortion a “girls’s proper subject” Hawley requested her.
“We are able to acknowledge that this impacts girls whereas additionally recognizing that it impacts different teams, these issues should not mutually unique, Sen. Hawley,” mentioned Bridges, who was testifying as an knowledgeable in race and reproductive rights.
The senator then requested what she believed was the “core of this proper.”
“I need to acknowledge that your line of questioning is transphobic,” she responded. “It opens up trans folks to violence by not recognizing them.”
“Wow,” Hawley responded.
“You’re saying that I’m going to get folks to violence by asking whether or not or not girls are the parents who can have being pregnant,” he continued.
Bridges then identified that one in 5 transgender folks have dedicated suicide, “so I feel that’s necessary.”
“Due to my line of questioning?” Hawley requested. “So we are able to’t speak about it?”
“As a result of denying that trans folks exist and pretending to not know that they exist …” she mentioned as Hawley broke in.
“I’m denying that trans folks exist by asking you for those who’re speaking about girls having pregnancies?” he mentioned.
“Are you?” Bridges shot again, including “So that you consider that males can’t get pregnant?”
“No, I don’t suppose that males can get pregnant,” Hawley mentioned.
“Then you might be denying that trans folks exist,” she mentioned. “Thanks.”
“And that results in violence?” Hawley questioned.
He continued by asking Bridges “is that this the way you run your classroom. Are college students allowed to query you?”
“We’ve got a great time in my class. You must be part of,” she mentioned.
