Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace has introduced a bill called the TRANS MICE Act, aimed at stopping taxpayer dollars from funding what she describes as 'radical transgender-related experiments on animals.' However, critics quickly pointed out that Mace may have confused 'transgender' with 'transgenic' mice—genetically engineered rodents used in cancer research.
What is the TRANS MICE Act?
Mace, who is leaving politics next year after coming last in her state's Republican primary for governor, announced the bill on X (formerly Twitter). She stated that the legislation would 'put an end to the use of taxpayer dollars for radical transgender-related experiments on animals.' A community note on her post clarified that 'trans mice' refers to transgenic mice, not transgender mice, and that these genetically engineered animals are often used in biomedical research, including cancer studies.
Mace's response to criticism
In a follow-up post, Mace denied the confusion and urged people to read more about her bill. She maintained that the legislation targets experiments related to sex hormone function that went viral in 2025. According to Mace, these experiments are part of a broader agenda she opposes.
Background on the controversy
Last year, the group Americans for Medical Progress, which supports animal testing in biomedical research, issued a statement correcting misinformation about 'transgender mice.' The group explained that certain research grants flagged by the Trump administration and right-wing influencers were not about making mice transgender but about understanding the role of sex hormones in medical conditions.
Political context
Mace's bill comes amid ongoing culture wars over transgender issues. Former President Donald Trump has previously made unsubstantiated claims about gender-reassignment surgery in schools, saying, 'Can you imagine you’re a parent and … you say, “Jimmy, I love you so much. Go have a good day in school,” and your son comes back with a brutal operation.' Mace, who once called herself 'Trump in high heels,' appears to be aligning with this rhetoric.
Expert and public reaction
Many observers have mocked Mace's apparent misunderstanding, suggesting she might next target 'transmission fluid' or 'transatlantic flights.' Some have pointed out that male seahorses give birth and a group of lions is called a pride, which could be seen as 'gay' by her standards. Arwa Mahdawi, a Guardian columnist, wrote that 'Republicans rarely admit that they’re wrong, so I suspect that the more pushback Mace gets on her trans mice bill, the more she’ll dig her high heels in.'
