Democrats holding 'informal conversations' on trans issues after being 'caught flat-footed' in 2024
Democrats are hoping to address transgender politics after being caught "flat-footed" on them in the 2024 election.
Topics such as transgender athletes playing in women’s sports or gender transition treatments for minors gained nationwide attention in 2024, with Democrats largely advocating on behalf of both issues. However, polls have shown the vast majority of Americans have opposed these issues, leading many to consider it a losing issue for Democrats.
NOTUS, a product of the Allbritton Journalism Institute, published comments on Friday from multiple House Democrats on both sides of the issue who have said that they’ve had or plan to have "informal conversations" with each other over the best path moving forward to address it.
One of them included Rep. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender congressional member. Though McBride has been passionate about transgender issues on the floor, the Delaware representative criticized party members for attacking each other over not being 100% in agreement.
"I think it is an incredibly problematic instinct that many have to excommunicate people who aren’t in lockstep with you on every policy, or even aren’t in lockstep with you on the messaging," McBride told NOTUS.
McBride has also advised Democrats to treat transgender topics as a pivot for Republicans away from important issues, arguing that it was not a major issue in the 2024 election.
Democratic Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman emphasized the talks so far have been very informal, comparing them to pulling someone aside for a comment. He appreciated them as a contrast to the "mean as f---" Republican legislation on trans issues.
"I do think there is, on the positive side, a growing appreciation that Democrats could be a little judgy and annoying about this, and maybe we should be open-minded and appreciate that not everyone is where we are," Landsman said.
DEMOCRAT WHO SPOKE OUT AGAINST TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN'S SPORTS COMES UNDER ATTACK FROM OWN PARTY
NOTUS also spoke to Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, who came under fire in November after calling out his party for being out-of-touch with Americans on the issue. Moulton confirmed he had spoken to McBride on trans issues but added "people are still scared to have" broader conversations on how to handle them.
Fox News Digital reached out to McBride, Landsman and Moulton for a comment.
According to a Pew Research Center poll in February, 66% of Americans favor requiring trans athletes to compete in teams that match their "sex assigned at birth," and 56% favor banning healthcare professionals from giving gender transition treatments to minors.