Mass. Dem Rep Seth Moulton Buys into GOP's Anti-Trans Rhetoric with Some of his Own

The finger-pointing as to whom to blame for Kamala Harris's loss in the 2024 presidential election began in earnest on Wednesday with major news outlets, such as the New York Times, offering analysis. One topic that is cropping up is that of the identity politics, specifically the Democrats reluctance to counter the millions of dollars the Trump campaign spent on attacking transgender care. "In the ads, former President Donald Trump's campaign has said he will end transgender care in prisons and jails, and restrict access to gender-affirming care and transgender participation in sports, and more," ABC News reported during the final days of the campaign. ABC News said that $21 million were spent on the ads, while the independent journalist collective the Bulwark pushed the total even higher – to $40 million poured into anti-trans advertising within the last five weeks.

"The ads, paid for by the Trump campaign, use a litany of anti-trans coding, including photoshopping Kamala Harris to appear as though she's posing beside a nonbinary person in a mustache and a dress, despite plenty of evidence that this strategy is a turn-off for voters," writes Vox. "'Kamala even supports letting biological men compete against our girls in their sports,' one ad declares. All three ads attack Harris for supporting gender-affirmative care for incarcerated trans people, including surgery where medically necessary. 'Kamala is for they/them,'"' each ad concludes. 'President Trump is for you.'"

That trans people make up barely .5% of the adult U.S. population and that trans-related issues have little relevancy to most voters, many politicos found it baffling that such attention was given them.

"After the election, trans Americans will have to deal with the dangerous fallout from the shameful lies and misinformation that far too many political candidates are intentionally spreading," GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.

And one that drank the GOP Kool Aid is Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who was one of two dozen Democrats who sought the party's presidential nomination in 2020, suggested the party should shift its approach to transgender issues.

"Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face," the New York Times quotes Moulton as saying. "I have two little girls, I don't want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I'm supposed to be afraid to say that."

His comments brought a sharp retort from the progressive advocacy group Mass Equality, who wrote in a statement:

"Unfortunately, recent comments made by Congressman Seth Moulton regarding transgender athletes have further compounded our community's sense of vulnerability. Referring to transgender athletes as "male or formerly male," the Congressman's remarks were both harmful and factually inaccurate. These statements contribute to the ongoing stigmatization of transgender people, especially transgender women and girls, in sports.

"Mass Equality strongly believes that everyone deserves to participate in sports on equal footing, regardless of their gender identity. We have reached out to Congressman Moulton in the hope of arranging a meeting to provide him with accurate, fact-based information and engage in a productive conversation on this important issue.

"'Our community is deeply hurt by these remarks, which reinforce harmful stereotypes and undermine the dignity of transgender athletes,' said Tanya Neslusan, Executive Director of Mass Equality. 'We hope that by engaging with the Congressman, we can work toward a more inclusive and informed understanding of transgender issues in sports.'

"Mass Equality remains committed to advocating for policies and public dialogue that affirm the rights and humanity of transgender individuals, in Massachusetts and beyond."