Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton and New York Democrat Tom Suozzi are facing backlash from over 30 LGBTQ leaders for their comments on transgender athletes in women’s sports. Moulton expressed concerns about his daughters’ safety if they were to compete against transgender athletes, while Suozzi stated that he does not believe biological boys should compete in girls’ sports. The LGBTQ leaders are demanding an apology from the congressmen for spreading harmful misinformation about the transgender community, particularly transgender youth.
The leaders assert that Americans overwhelmingly support the rights of transgender people, as evidenced by the recent election of openly transgender candidates across the country. They view the comments from Moulton and Suozzi as a distraction tactic employed by Republicans to avoid addressing real issues such as healthcare access and economic inequality. Jeremy Comeau, co-chairman of the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, is leading the campaign for an apology from the congressmen.
The letter from the LGBTQ leaders follows an initial demand for an apology from former interns and staffers of Moulton. Massachusetts state representatives and senators have also signed onto the letter, calling for Moulton and Suozzi to acknowledge their mistakes. Despite the backlash, Moulton maintains that he is not anti-trans and argues that Democrats must win the debate on transgender rights to prevent Republicans from dictating terms that are harmful to minorities across America. The controversy has prompted internal discussions within the Democratic Party about its stance on LGBTQ issues.
Source
Photo credit www.bostonherald.com
