November 20, 2024
Politicians and pundits have fueled a backlash against transgender rights in the wake of the election. They are playing a dangerous game.
Donald Trump’s election victory raises the possibility that he will not only dismantle but destroy the regulatory state while promoting a narrow vision of what America should be and who should benefit from living in it. It foreshadows a high level of government.
But as the election results trickled in, it also became clear that the ruling majority needed to achieve these goals might not be as strong as expected on election night. Mr. Trump failed to win 50% of the popular vote, and Republicans have narrow majorities in both the House and Senate.
But instead of thinking about how they can use this unexpectedly small mandate to their advantage, some Democrats believe that the real reason for their 2024 election defeat is that the coalition’s most vulnerable members I decided to spend some time saying that there was a part of it. Transgender Americans and allies working to protect their civil rights.
Almost immediately after President Trump’s victory, number of Democratic Party politicianand key party advisers. inside and outside Some circles flooded the airwaves and social media accounts, claiming the party had lost touch with average Americans by pandering to the party’s fringes. Their statements all seemed to feature two main points. First, the “far left” has captured the Democratic Party’s stance on social issues, leading to alienation from voters. Second, the Democratic Party has distanced itself from support for transgender children. This means that it is necessary to put Playing on a sports team that matches your gender identity.
One of the representatives, Seth Moulton from Massachusetts’ 6th District, said: said new york times“I have two little girls, and I don’t want them to get run over by men or former male athletes on the field, but as a Democrat I should be scared to say that.”
In Texas, former party leader Gilbert Hinojosa said that ultimately Democrats “have a choice as a party” about what issues they will champion and what issues they will compromise on.
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“For example, we can support transgender rights in every category where the issue is raised, and we can understand that there are things we have gone too far and that large parts of the population do not support. ” he added. (Following the party’s decisive defeat in the state, he later apologized before resigning from the position altogether.)
These points are reinforced by other commentators, such as the eminent Pamela Paul, who whispers that “the transgender rights debate has gone too far.” timesHe said this week that Democrats “common sense‘ approaches transgender rights. The message from all of these individuals was the same. Demanding equal civil and human rights must not come at any cost to those who may face the discomfort it entails.
While these powerful political insiders and commentators want to scapegoat kids who just want to play soccer on the team they deserve, transgender rights have become a deciding factor in elections. There is little evidence that this is the case. exit poll Post-election polls show that economic conditions, a general desire for change at all costs, and the rightward movement of certain groups of parties, rather than social issues, were the main reasons for Trump’s election victory. It became. flat multiple Half of those who think abortion should be legal in most cases (the Democratic coalition’s cause) voted for Trump. Additionally, Delaware voters elected Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender Democrat in history. (Republicans immediately launched a transphobic attack (such as trying to forbid McBride from using the women’s restroom).
But despite all this, politicians looking to deal cheap blows to vulnerable groups are happy to use Trans-Americans as an example. Because the party knows that this community doesn’t have much choice in elections.
“They are the only real political vehicle that represents us and advocates for us, but at the same time, they don’t make us listen,” said Bray, a transgender voter in Connecticut. he said. nation This comes after a week of comments by party members naming her community. This kind of bashing serves no purpose other than reactionary forces who want to completely erase transgender people from the landscape.
Perhaps one of the reasons transgender rights came to be perceived as a thorny issue for Democrats is because they felt so uncomfortable defending transgender rights. For example, when Kamala Harris was asked about her support for gender-affirming care, she gave a vague and vague answer, sending a message to voters that she had something to hide and politicizing the issue. increased in importance. Compare that approach to that of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who loudly stood up for transgender people in a deeply red state. won a convincing re-election In 2023.
“There were many ways for Democrats to use Republican rhetoric against them during the election,” Bray added.
Republicans continue to seek to ban transgender minors from receiving medical care. Democrats, including politicians like Moulton, have supported bills such as the Transgender Bill of Rights and the Equality Act, which would enact federal civil rights protections for transgender Americans. But every time Democrats face adversity, some members of the ruling coalition seem ready to quickly compromise on these civil rights promises in pursuit of virtual bipartisanship.
As we have seen, this type of triangulation does not lead to electoral success. And it will only weaken support for the transgender community at a time when the party, set to take power next January, has a broader goal of pacification in mind.
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Brandon Wolfe, national spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group, said: “What is not helpful at this point is the unsubstantiated random reporting and scapegoating of people who have long been targeted by MAGA. ” he said. Nation. “There’s no denying that Democrats lost on Tuesday, and everyone needs to do some self-reflection and learning based on meaningful conversations with people across the political divide and hard data. There’s work to be done. But the work is more welcoming and brings real solutions to real problems to more people.”
Over the next two months, President Trump will focus on the immediate attention of the party that still controls the White House and the Senate, as he seeks to force his way through the ranks of Cabinet appointees, and how the party will address this new rift. It is unclear how this will be dealt with.
Moulton says The uproar his comments have caused shows how right he was to raise the issue in the first place. “We have to be able to have these discussions,” he added. But thankfully, we can also point out the following: his other wordsDemocrats around the world should remember: “We didn’t lose the 2024 election because of transgender people or issues.”
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