Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Dem. infighting continues in wake of Seth Moulton’s transgender comments
Some centrist House Democrats are reportedly angry with leaders for their handling of votes on transgender issues.
As Democrats continue to reel from their electoral losses, Rep. Seth Moulton’s recent comments about transgender athletes are stirring up division within the party.
In the wake of Kamala Harris’s loss to Donald Trump, Moulton told The New York Times that Democrats are preoccupied “trying not to offend anyone” as opposed to “being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face.”
“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,” he added.
Advertisement:
Transgender issues played a major role in Trump’s strategy, and one of his most-aired TV ads included the line “Kamala’s For They/Them. President Trump is for you.”
Moulton’s remarks did initiate a backlash from local LGBTQ groups, officials in Salem, and from some Democrats. Protesters demonstrated outside his office. Mass. Gov. Maura Healey said Moulton was “playing politics with people.” Some of the harshest words came from Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, who appeared to call him a “coward” in a social media post.
Moulton, who has represented Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District since 2015, defended his comments in a Facebook post over the weekend.
Advertisement:
“The backlash has only served to reinforce my original point,” he said.
Other Democrats are now saying that members of the party need to pivot away from culture war topics like this, according to Politico.
A group of about a dozen House moderates are reportedly angry about how leadership dealt with votes on transgender issues pushed by Republicans in recent years. According to them, Minority Whip Katherine Clark, who represents Massachusetts’ 5th Congressional District, should not have whipped against some of these measures and did not offer clear explanations for the party’s opposition that could be communicated to constituents in swing districts.
“A left-winger from Massachusetts shouldn’t be whip,” an anonymous Democrat from a purple district told Politico, referring to Clark.
Harris notably did not run a campaign that centered transgender issues or identity politics. She sought to portray herself as more of a centrist, appearing frequently with Republican Liz Cheney in the final weeks before Election Day. Progressive Democrats are saying that adopting “Republican-lite” positions was an ineffective strategy.
“Harris campaigned four times in October with Liz Cheney, more than with any other ally. She appeared with Mark Cuban more than UAW’s Shawn Fain,” a memo from progressives with talking points and election analysis obtained by Politico stated. “We did not offer a meaningful contrast to Republicans celebrating billionaires and corporations — instead, the Republican-lite advice yielded no electoral benefits.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com