Republican Representative Steve Womack referred to his male colleague, who dresses as a woman, as a “gentlelady from Delaware” during Wednesday’s Big Beautiful Bill hearing, according to a New York Times update.
Womack did not respond to The Federalist’s request for comment on why he chose to address “Sarah” (Tim) McBride as if he were a woman, whether Womack believes McBride is a woman, and if Womack always uses biologically false terms when asked to do so by people with gender dysphoria.
The Arkansas representative says that he is “committed to ensuring that the voices of his constituents are represented,” but it is unclear how his addressing McBride as a “lady” represents a state that is a leader in opposing LGBT ideology.
In Arkansas, it can be a crime for an adult to use the opposite-sex bathroom if a minor is present, and an individual can be charged with misdemeanor “sexual indecency with a child.” Arkansas has also passed legislation outlawing transgender surgeries and opposite sex hormones for minors, and state law restricts drag shows.
Womack won the Republican primary in 2024 by about 5,000 votes, and he has served as a representative for Arkansas’ 3rd Congressional District since 2011. The Arkansas congressman is also involved with West Point Academy, serving as chairman of West Point’s Board of Visitors, a board that reviews the academic, physical, and military programs for the prestigious U.S. military academy that trains the next generation of soldiers.
Other Republican members of Congress have stood firm on the biological reality of McBride’s sex.
Texas Rep. Keith Self referred to McBride as “Mr.” during a March hearing, prompting Democrat Rep. Bill Keating to yell at Self and pound the table, telling the Texan that he was “out of order” and asking, “Have you no decency?”
In February, congressional records were altered to comply with McBride’s gender dysphoria. Rep. Mary Miller called McBride a “gentleman from Delaware” and “Mr.,” saying on X she refuses “to perpetuate the lie that gender is open to our interpretation.”
Yet the congressional record showed Miller saying “gentlewoman” and ”Ms.,” Rep. Marjorie Greene said on X.
Speaker Mike Johnson even issued a statement in November clarifying that “all single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings — such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms — are reserved for individuals of that biological sex.”
President Trump also signed an executive order in January recognizing the “biological reality of sex,” empowering government agencies and employees to enforce rules based on that biological reality.
Abigail Nichols is a correspondent for The Federalist. She was previously the opinion editor for the University of South Florida's student newspaper, The Oracle. She is now working as the business manager at the University of North Florida's student-run media outlet, Spinnaker Media, while obtaining a Master's Degree in Social work.