Rep. Harriet Hageman struck a nerve when she declared that she doesn’t want to be referred to as a “cisgender woman.”
The Wyoming Republican took issue with the term during a House Judiciary Committee markup session on legislation banning males from participating in Olympic and amateur athletic competitions designated for women.
“Cisgender is a made-up word. That means nothing,” Ms. Hageman said. “Do not call me cisgender. I am a woman.”
Coined in 1994, the word “cisgender” is widely used on the left to distinguish biological men and women from transgender men and women, despite rubbing critics of gender ideology the wrong way.
Ms. Hageman said the term “epitomizes the left’s ongoing effort to rewrite the English language in order to change the debate and destroy civil order.”
It turned out the congresswoman isn’t the only one annoyed at being labeled “cisgender.”
Concerned Women for America reposted a video from the Tuesday session and applauded Ms. Hageman for “standing up for biological truth.”
“We could not agree more, @RepHageman,” the conservative group said on X. “We are tired of seeing our nation’s leaders minimize the inherent dignity of women.”
The anti-cisgender video drew a torrent of praise, including comments such as, “Thank you for speaking truth,” “Harriet Hageman is my new favorite member of Congress,” and “BOOM.”
“Cisgender is a made up word. That means nothing. Do not call me cisgender. I am a woman.”
— Concerned Women for America LAC (@CWforA) February 4, 2026
We could not agree more, @RepHageman. 👏
We are tired of seeing our nation’s leaders minimize the inherent dignity of women.
Thank you for standing up for biological truth. pic.twitter.com/kIQZ3JrWu9
Kara Dansky, author of the “The Reckoning: How the Democrats and the Left Betrayed Women and Girls” (2023), called the description “grossly offensive.”
“I thought Representative Hageman made excellent arguments during the hearing,” said Ms. Dansky in an email. “Yes, it is grossly offensive to women to suggest that we somehow ’identify’ as a set of sex-stereotypes. No self-respecting woman would ever use it to describe herself.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin, Maryland Democrat, used the term several times in his remarks criticizing the bill, which he called “a solution in search of a problem.”
“Its supporters have failed to point to any evidence that transgender women as a group consistently outperform cisgender women in women’s sporting events,” Mr. Raskin said. “In fact, a 2024 study concluded that transgender women athletes actually have several physical disadvantages when competing with cisgender women.”
Democratic objections aside, the bill cleared the committee on a vote of 15-10, setting up the possibility of a House vote during the 2026 Winter Olympics, which run through Feb. 22 in the Milan and Cortina, Italy.
Rep. Greg Steube, the Florida Republican who sponsored the legislation, urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the bill to the floor “immediately.”
“From the swimming pool to the boxing ring, my bill will protect the integrity of women’s sports from the trans agenda,” he said.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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