Dozens of protesters gathered outside a Rock Hill brewery for a recent “town hall” meeting to denounce U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace’s anti-LGBTQ+ views as the South Carolina Republican brought her gubernatorial campaign to town. Chanting “Nancy Mace is a disgrace, wasting time and spewing hate,” demonstrators lined the entrance to Hoppin’, where Mace addressed a crowd of roughly 60 people.
The Charleston congresswoman, who has drawn national attention for her rhetoric on LGBTQ+ issues, opened her remarks by taking jabs at the protesters, calling them “lunatics” and using a transphobic slur. “These are the people who are very confused,” she said. “They’re all messed up.”
Mace also accused demonstrators of hiding “behind a mask” because they were “too scared to show their face” and “not man enough to come into the room and ask the tough questions.”
Some protesters said they had registered for the event but were denied entry.
Opponents cited her record of supporting anti-trans bathroom rules, advocating for defunding schools that recognize transgender students’ pronouns, and pledging to “ban pronouns” in schools.
Inside, Mace reiterated her backing of former President Donald Trump and pledged to veto funding for any school that “thinks men can get pregnant.” She promised to “hold the line” against immigration, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and what she called “the woke agenda.”
Her education platform leaned heavily on anti-LGBTQ measures, along with expanding school choice and charter schools. She also vowed to remove what she described as “child porn in libraries.”
During a Q&A session, tensions rose when a protester questioned her stance on Trump’s executive orders. Audience members shouted over the protester, telling them “nobody likes you” and “we came here for Nancy not you.” Mace responded by again using a transphobic slur and instructing the protester to say “hi” to those outside.
Speaking to reporters, Mace doubled down on her language. “Well, I think the gays need to divorce the tr*nnies, I mean, you saw these people masked up, they’re confused,” she said. When asked about her use of a slur, Mace replied, “tr*nny is not offensive, what is offensive is a man in a woman’s space.”
Mace officially announced her bid for governor on Aug. 4, joining a crowded Republican primary field that includes Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, and state Rep. Josh Kimbrell. The South Carolina primary is set for June 2026.