Democrats are rallying to defend Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first out transgender member of Congress, calling Republican measures to ban her from using women's bathrooms at the Capitol 'craven' and 'cruel.

Transgender rights have become a political flashpoint in the U.S. Lawmakers in 37 states introduced at least 142 bills to restrict gender-affirming healthcare for transgender and gender-expansive people in 2023, Reuters reported, nearly three times as many as the previous year.

The issue became a flashpoint after Republican Representative Nancy Mace filed a resolution to impose that requirement, which targeted U.S. Representative-elect Sarah McBride.