Marjorie Taylor Greene’s anti-trans bill, titled the “Protect Children’s Innocence Act,” passed a House floor vote on December 17. Greene has attempted to advance this legislation for years, though GOP leadership previously declined to bring it to the floor. Ahead of the vote, Greene (R-GA) became embroiled in a public dispute on X with Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) after Roy introduced an amendment that Greene claimed would weaken her bill.
“Chip Roy is trying to change my bill in such a way that his amendment would actually protect Gavin Newsom’s California trans child sanctuary state policies and laws!!!” Greene wrote on X. Among Greene’s supporters, invoking California and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is widely viewed as an insult.
Roy responded during a House Rules Committee meeting, accusing Greene of benefiting from vote-trading. “Marjorie was given this vote this week to buy her vote on a National Defense Authorization Act. Everybody knows it. It happened right there on the floor of the House,” Roy says. “That’s the kind of (expletive) that keeps happening around this institution all the time, including on our side of the aisle. And I am sick of it.”
Greene later acknowledged on X that she negotiated with Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), agreeing to change her vote to YES on the NDAA in exchange for her bill receiving a House floor vote. Greene defended the arrangement by saying it was “a shame” vote-trading was necessary, but that “that’s what it takes.”
Greene also complained on X that “any publicly funded pediatric gender clinic would continue to operate clear and free under Chip Roy’s amendment!!!” Roy reposted her statement with his own response, defending his amendment by arguing that constitutional concerns matter, that Greene’s bill is unlikely to become law as written, and that his amendment would have increased its chances of passage.
Roy’s defense came amid the reality that Republicans hold only a narrow majority in the House. With margins this slim, just a handful of Republican NO votes could have sunk the bill, and by most measures, it lacked sufficient support. Despite this—and despite Roy ultimately withholding his amendment—H.R. 3492 passed the House.
On Wednesday afternoon, Roy released a statement explaining his decision to withhold the amendment, stating that he wanted to demonstrate Republican unity against what Greene calls the “trans agenda.” He argued that the bill should have addressed concerns raised by members and advocacy groups before being brought to a vote, and that doing so ahead of time “would have avoided any confusion about our unity on this matter.”
The episode raises broader questions about transparency and the role of political pressure in securing legislative outcomes—concerns Roy himself alluded to when criticizing routine vote-trading in Congress. This vote also marks one of Greene’s final opportunities to advance legislation during her current term.
Unfortunately, H.R. 3492 has now passed the House of Representatives. What does that mean for the queer community? While the House vote is discouraging, the bill must still clear the Senate. It has been received and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where lawmakers typically hold hearings, gather expert testimony, and review a bill’s potential impacts. The committee may propose and vote on amendments before sending the measure to the Senate floor for debate and a final vote.
While this does not provide immediate relief—and the bill poses serious harm to the trans community—it is not the end of the road. There are still people standing up for what is right. We have seen meaningful wins even in Georgia, including a federal judge placing the ban on gender-affirming care in prisons under a permanent injunction.
You can read more about the specifics of H.R. 3492 and stay up to date on its progress at the H.R. 3492 link above. For now, stay informed to the extent your mental health allows, and resist in whatever ways you are able. The fight can feel uphill, which is exactly why it is so important to hold onto—and recognize—the wins when they come.
