Nancy Mace fights to keep transgender women out of bathrooms while her aide broke into a woman’s home

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, has tried to build her reputation on a self-proclaimed commitment to protecting women’s safety. She has framed her latest crusade — a proposed bathroom ban targeting transgender women in the U.S. Capitol — as a measure to shield women from harm. But her hiring practices tell a different story.

Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.

Mace employs Sean Brislin, her legislative director since at least January according to his LinkedIn page, whose criminal history includes an arrest for unlawfully entering a woman’s apartment in Washington, D.C., an act that left the victim feeling unsafe in her own home.

In January 2020, a woman returned to her Northeast D.C. home from taking out the trash to find Brislin, a stranger, asleep in her bed. Brislin, who was intoxicated at the time, had entered the apartment uninvited, between 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. according to court documents. Alarmed and frightened, the woman contacted the police, who arrested him after determining that he had no legitimate reason to be there. Brislin was charged in D.C. Superior Court with unlawful entry, a misdemeanor, and later entered a deferred prosecution agreement. He avoided trial by agreeing to complete 32 hours of community service, attend alcohol treatment, and stay away from the woman and her apartment, according to court records.

Trending stories

Here's how to watch Lady Gaga at Coachella & full livestream schedule

From Z to APT: Here's who won the 'Drag Race' S17 Lip Sync Smackdown

Robert Irwin is stripping down & rocking tiny briefs in new underwear campaign

Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Lady Gaga is bringing 'Gothic dreams,' queer joy to Coachella

Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes

French Polynesia doesn’t need Pride flags to earn its place on every LGBTQ+ bucket list

Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources

JoJo Siwa updates pronouns on 'Celebrity Big Brother UK'

Bobby Berk reveals his favorite part about being gay: 'The sex!'

Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring

In 'Happy Endings with Bruno,' a 'Drag Race' stud offers a massage with a message

'Survivor' star Teeny Chirichillo comes out as trans in candid new essay

Discover the power of Wellness in your life

Out and About with Karan Soni

Broadway bound: The best hotels in NYC’s Theater District for every type of traveler

Beyond Wonderland's accepting & unifying rave culture is needed more than ever

The Charles is Pacific Grove's new LGBTQ+ hotel

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

15 lesbian coming-of-age movies that will hit you right in the feels

23 brutally funny 'Hands Off' protest signs that prove the resistance is alive & hilarious

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

During a court hearing in July of that year, the victim described the lingering impact of the incident. “I now feel like a stranger in my own dwelling,” she told the court, according to a report by DC Witness. She said she did not believe that Brislin faced significant punishment. Despite her objections, the case was dismissed in 2021 after Brislin completed the terms of his agreement, as signed by Special Assistant United States Attorney Sabena Auyeung.

Mace’s anti-transgender efforts are built on disproven claims.Last week, Mace proposed bathroom bans, which specifically target Delaware Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, the first out transgender member of Congress. Mace claimed that McBride’s presence in a congressional bathroom would be a danger to women. Her assertions are rooted in baseless fears of harm in shared spaces.

Support queer media. Become an Advocate contributor today.

A 2018 study from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, found no evidence that trans-inclusive bathroom policies lead to safety risks. By contrast, the research shows transgender individuals often face harassment and denial of access when trying to use public restrooms.

Neither Mace’s press secretary nor Brislin responded to The Advocate’s request for comment.