Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was once again the subject of a viral roast campaign after an unhinged rant on the House of Representatives floor on Tuesday.
Ocasio-Cortez spoke out against The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in a two-minute tirade that included both false and unsubstantiated claims. Her speech ended with an unexplained claim that “CEOs love this bill” as it relates to the ongoing California Wildfires.
The bill ultimately passed and will now head to the Senate after all 216 House Republicans voted in favor, along with just two Democrats. Meanwhile, 206 Democrats, including Ocasio-Cortez, voted against the bill.
Ocasio-Cortez opened her argument by referencing Republicans’ history in voting against the “Violence Against Women Act” and an apparent false claim in reference to their stance on abortion rights.
“Republicans who have voted consistently against the violence against women act, who have taken away the right of all women to choose and have control over their own body, who, as women are bleeding out in parking lots across the country, standing there, allowing us to die, now want to pretend today that they care about women!” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Abortion is currently protected by state law in 21 states and the District of Columbia, and President-elect Trump has repeatedly insisted that under his administration, abortion rights will be left up to the states.
Ocasio-Cortez was also one of many Democrats to push unsubstantiated claims that the law would subject young girls to sexual predators.
“And why? To open up gender, and yes, genital examinations into little girls of this country, in the so-called name of attacking trans girls!” Ocasio-Cortez continued.
Nowhere in the bill does it state that girls or women would be subject to genital examination in order to participate in sports. However, Ocasio-Cortez, along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats opposing it, have cited that possibility as their top argument in opposing the act.
“The majority right now says there’s no place in this bill that says it opens up for genital examinations. Well, here’s the thing, there’s no enforcement mechanism in this bill. And when there is no enforcement mechanism, you open the door to every enforcement mechanism!” Ocasio-Cortez said.
The bill provides that it is a violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 for federally funded education programs or activities to operate, sponsor, or facilitate athletic programs or activities that allow individuals of the male sex to participate in programs or activities that are designated for women or girls.
Under the bill,sex is based on an individual’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.
Ocasio-Cortez has been a consistent advocate for trans inclusion in women’s sports and has previously used the word “predatory” to describe those who oppose it. In November, Ocasio-Cortez re-shared a video of Green Party VP candidate Butch Ware speaking out against trans inclusion in women’s sports, with a caption that read, “This ticket is predatory and people deserve better.”
And now, despite many in her party and liberal media figures publicly disavowing support for trans inclusion, Ocasio-Cortez isn’t wavering in her stance on what a woman or girl is.
“Trans girls are girls!” Ocasio-Cortez said at Tuesday’s hearing.
Ocasio-Cortez then commenced with a series of incoherent and unfinished sentences about the issue.
“And for all the folks that are so concerned, thank you for your concern about women for the first time that I’ve seen. I don’t know about y’all. I don’t know who’s been to gym class lately, but girls, even if you only believe there’s only two genders, I’ve played co-ed sports all the time!” she said, before moving onto another point.
Ocasio-Cortez’s next point was to warn that the bill may result in an appreciation of traditional feminity.
“What this also opens the door for, is for women to try to perform a very specific kind of femininity for the very kind of men who are drafting this bill, and to open up questioning of who is a woman because of how we look, how we present ourselves, and yes, what we chose to do with our bodies,” she said.
The bill does not address anything to do with how biological females dress, present themselves or any potential anatomical or bodily decisions.
Ocasio-Cortez concluded her speech by claiming the bill is “loved” by “bigots” and “assaulters,” before making her unexplained connection to CEOs and the California Wildfires.
“Biggoted folks love this bill. Assaulters love this bill, but also CEOs love this bill. Because Los Angeles is on fire right now, and this is the No. 1 priority this majority has,” she said, before leaving the podium.
Ocasio-Cortez was the subject of harsh criticism on social media for her tirade later on Tuesday.
Ocasio-Cortez has previously co-sponsored the Equality Act, which was proposed in 2019 and has had revisions that “would force public schools to allow biologically male athletes who identify as transgender on girls sports teams.”
In March 2023, Democrats, including Ocasio-Cortez, advocated for a transgender bill of rights, proposing a resolution “recognizing that it is the duty of the Federal Government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights.”
However, now the issue of preventing trans inclusion has become a bipartisan priority, that Republicans and Trump have simply taken the lead on.
