A Friday morning session in the unicameral Nebraska legislature devolved into chaos after one Democratic lawmaker began shouting her support for transgender people amid a debate on a bill to ban s*x change procedures for minors in the state.
The bill, which was ultimately approved by lawmakers and sent to Republican Gov. Jim Pillen’s desk to become law, bans s*x change procedures for minors, as well as abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
In voicing her disapproval to the measure Friday morning, state Democrat Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh slapped the lectern and repeatedly shouted: “Transgender people belong here, we need trans people, we love trans people.”
“You matter. You matter and I am fighting for you. I will not stop,” exclaimed Cavanaugh, who displays she/her pronouns in her Twitter bio.
“I will not stop today, I will not stop tomorrow. You are loved. You matter. You belong here.”
Cavanaugh’s shouting during the legislative session lasted for just under a minute.
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Cavanaugh also railed against conservatives who voted for the hybrid bill — which includes protections for unborn children — and warned that people, medical professionals and businesses will leave the state over it.
“Your children are posting things on social media, your children are calling you, colleagues,” Cavanaugh said.
“You have to live with your vote.… You have to live with the role that you play in history in the making today. You have to live with the fact that you vote to take away people’s rights. You have to live with that. The rest of us have to live with the implications of that, but you have to live with that.”
“If you didn’t sleep after Tuesday night, reflect on that. You don’t have to vote for this,” she added, just shortly before she called those who support the measure “weak.”
Cavanaugh also claimed that those who supported the measure “allowed” themselves to be “bought by the governor.”
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