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Indian American lawmakers seek action on anti-trans rhetoric
They were among the 213 lawmakers who signed the appeal, reflecting broad support across the Democratic caucus.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 18, Nov 2025
- 15:35 EST
- 13
(Top L-R) Pramila Jayapal, Suhas Subramanyan, Ro Khanna (Bottom L-R) Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Shri Thanedar / File Photo
Indian American lawmakers joined their colleagues in calling House Speaker Mike Johnson to condemn escalating anti-transgender rhetoric in Congress and enforce the chamber’s rules of decorum.
Reps. Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Shri Thanedar and Suhas Subramanyam, were among the 213 lawmakers who signed the letter led by Equality Caucus, which was issued as the House reconvened after the recent government shutdown.
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In the letter, the lawmakers cited multiple instances in which a member of Congress used a slur to describe transgender people during official proceedings, including committee hearings and remarks on the House floor.
This Congress, there's been a disturbing rise in the use of dehumanizing anti-trans rhetoric, including slurs, by US Representatives.
— Congressional Equality Caucus (@EqualityCaucus) November 18, 2025
That's why today, @Rep_McBride & @RepMarkTakano led 213 Members demanding Speaker Johnson condemn this rhetoric & enforce House rules of decorum. pic.twitter.com/Mn6eNtlCLK
The letter noted that “no action was taken by the Chair or Speaker Pro Tempore in any of these circumstances,” despite House rules prohibiting disorderly, profane or demeaning language.
The letter also referenced comments by some lawmakers describing transgender people as mentally ill, calling for their institutionalization or portraying them as a national security threat. Such rhetoric, the signatories said, compounds legislative and administrative actions already targeting transgender Americans.
The members wrote that transgender people “are part of every community” and warned that demonizing them amounts to attacking the wider public.
They pointed to 2024 federal data showing 463 hate-crime incidents motivated by gender-identity bias—likely an undercount—and research indicating transgender people face a far higher risk of violent victimization than the general population.
The lawmakers concluded by urging Speaker Johnson to uphold House standards, “As Speaker of the House, you have a responsibility not just to the Republican Conference but to the entire House of Representatives—and the entire country that the House represents.”
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