An unusual Democrat, Sen. Ruben Gallego, has spoken out in support of parents’ worries over transgender athletes participating in some sports, calling their fears “legitimate.” This subject has recently been targeted by Republicans.
Just as any parent would be concerned about their daughter’s safety, I, as a daughter’s parent, believe that our concerns about unfair competition are well-founded. “I believe the parents of these trans children also have legitimate concerns about their kids’ health and wellness,” Gallego stated in an interview published Thursday with The Dispatch.
Democrats in Congress have been pushing to codify federal protections under the umbrellas of gender identity and sexual orientation for some time now, but the Arizona Democrat went a step further by saying that “local institutions” should decide whether and how to implement biological separations in “some” school sports. This is a rare effort to return the decision-making power to the states.
“Hey, listen, we love you,” Gallego said, emphasizing that transgender youngsters should still be treated with openness, but that this should not extend to all forms of athletics. We truly value your being here, but unfortunately, this is the one location where you are not allowed to play. Let’s explore alternative ways for you to be active,” he remarked.
Not a single Democrat has ever said that transgender people shouldn’t participate in athletics, and Gallego isn’t the only one.
March saw California Governor Gavin Newsom make headlines for departing from his party’s stance on the matter, stating that permitting trans women to participate in women’s sports was “deeply unfair.” Newsom had previously been an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, having granted marriage licenses to gay couples while serving as mayor of San Francisco, in violation of state law.
Democrats are beginning to show indications of division on the subject as they grapple with a larger reckoning inside the party on its course of action under the new Trump administration. In order to portray the Democrats as extreme leftists, Republicans have exploited Democratic stances on subjects like trans athletes’ participation in women’s sports.
Even while several Democrats have stated their support for transgender people’s participation in sports and American society in general, other notable Democrats have said that the Democrats’ stance so far has not won over Americans.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) suggested after President Trump’s election in November that Democrats’ inability to win was due in part to their utmost care to “not offend anyone.”
Moulton told The New York Times following Kamala Harris’ loss, “Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face.” They spoke after the loss. “I can’t stand the thought of a male or ex-male athlete running over my two young daughters on a playing field, but I’m supposed to be silent about it because I’m a Democrat.”