Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) created a brief spectacle on Thursday when she reportedly summoned law enforcement after claiming “a guy” had entered a women’s restroom in the Capitol, only for the incident to turn out to be a false alarm.
According to Bloomberg congressional reporter Billy House, Boebert was seen “bursting out of the House Women’s restroom during this afternoon’s vote series, complaining to security personnel stationed in the nearby Speakers Lobby of ‘a guy’ inside the bathroom.”
House monitored the restroom after Boebert’s complaint, but only women were observed exiting. The situation escalated further when Boebert returned to the restroom minutes later, this time accompanied by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC).
Mace, known for her controversial stances on transgender rights, has in recent months positioned herself as a vocal opponent of accommodations for transgender individuals, despite previously identifying as “pro-transgender rights.”
When House later questioned Boebert about the incident, she admitted her mistake. “There was a rumor there was, but it wasn’t true,” she told the reporter.
The incident comes in the wake of renewed policies by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), barring transgender individuals from using restrooms aligning with their gender identity. The move appeared to be a reaction to the election of Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE), the first openly transgender member of Congress.
Opponents of transgender rights frequently cite fears of male predators entering women’s restrooms, though studies consistently show that transgender individuals face significantly elevated risks of violence and harassment, rather than posing a threat themselves.
The episode adds to the series of controversies surrounding Boebert, a far-right lawmaker who recently shifted to a more conservative district in Colorado. She has faced significant scrutiny, including accusations of public lewdness following an incident where she and a male companion were caught on camera engaging in inappropriate behavior during a performance of Beetlejuice, leading to their ejection from the theater.
While this latest false alarm might appear minor, it highlights the ongoing tensions and misinformation fueling debates around transgender rights and access to public spaces in Congress. Boebert’s acknowledgment of her error, however, marks a rare concession amid the highly charged political climate.