Was it transphobic questioning? Senator Josh Hawley gets into heated argument with law professor

During a session on the legal repercussions of the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade on Tuesday, Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, was charged by a law professor with indulging in a line of transphobic questioning.

Some progressives have started using the term "pregnant people" instead of "women" to portray someone whose right to abortion they are trying to defend, in order to indicate that transgender men and non-binary people are also impacted by the Supreme Court's decision, which overturned the 1973 court decision that had made access to abortion a nationwide constitutionally protected right.

Hawley vs Bridges

During this strong argument at the Senate Judiciary Committee trial, Hawley asked Khiara Bridges, a law professor at the UC Berkeley School, if it is the women she refers to while speaking of those, who are capable of becoming pregnant.

Bridges responded by saying that many women, particularly cis women, have the potential for childbirth, while many cis women do not. Additionally, non-binary individuals and trans guys are both capable of getting pregnant.

The professor claimed that Hawley's query was racist and sexist because he essentially denied the reality and existence of trans men and non-binary people by asking for Bridges' view on the topic.

Trans rights and abortion rights
Hawley concentrated on the appropriate language when trans rights and abortion rights have emerged as national political hot topics, with Republican state lawmakers implementing several strict laws on both aspects in subsequent years.

Bridges continued by noting that transgender people experienced a high rate of suicide attempts and pointed to the fact that denying trans people existence and assuming that you are unaware of them as an equivalent human is harmful.

She immediately questioned the senator about whether he thought men could become pregnant.

Bridges was then questioned further by Hawley. He asked if this is how she handles her classroom. Can learners ask you questions?

She replied that the students have a good time in her class. She also offered him to join her class.