Gavin Newsom Ignited a Necessary Discussion Among Democrats
Following their defeat in November, the party has avoided confronting the issue of transgender rights.
TroibNews 
Gavin Newsom's recent assertion that permitting transgender athletes to compete in women's sports is “deeply unfair” sparked widespread skepticism, with many interpreting the California governor's statement as a political maneuver ahead of a prospective presidential bid in 2028. My own reaction was somewhat different: why has it taken so long for a prominent Democrat to articulate what many Americans likely believe?
The issue has already served as a potent weapon for President Donald Trump and other Republicans, notably hammering Kamala Harris with the memorable phrase, “Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you.” More significantly, polling data consistently indicates that while Americans do not support discrimination, they are also not in favor of transgender women competing in women's sports. A January New York Times/Ipsos poll revealed that 79 percent of respondents expressed doubts, including 67 percent of Democrats.
The backlash to Newsom’s comments, combined with the lack of support from fellow Democrats, illustrates the challenges the party faces in addressing this contentious issue and highlights their struggle to engage in open dialogue about it. Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who identifies as lesbian, characterized Newsom’s remarks as “disgusting,” while LGBTQ+ groups made it clear that any Democrat aligned with Newsom's viewpoint would jeopardize their presidential aspirations.
Even experienced party communicators view this subject as complicated. This was evident during my recent Playbook Deep Dive interview with Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, which took place shortly after Newsom's statements were made public. When I asked him to weigh in, he joked, “Are you sure we haven’t run out of time?” before respectfully engaging in a lengthy discussion about this delicate topic.
Sensitivity around the issue is certainly warranted. Democrats are reluctant to appear as if they are compromising on a matter they regard as a fundamental human rights issue. Boyle noted his concern about contributing to the bullying of a community that has faced relentless attacks from Republicans and has a high suicide rate.
He also compared this situation to the past debate on same-sex marriage, in which Democrats had historically played a role in opposition. The Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 passed both chambers of Congress with significant bipartisan support, and then-President Bill Clinton signed it into law just months before his reelection.
However, over the following two decades, the Democratic Party underwent a significant shift, leading to a successful campaign that transformed public opinion on same-sex marriage. This change contrasts with the complexities surrounding transgender rights, making the issue of women’s sports particularly challenging for Democrats.
The essence of the argument that swayed public opinion regarding same-sex marriage was fairness—it was fundamentally un-American to deny couples in loving relationships the same rights as others, especially when opponents could not substantiate that same-sex marriage posed any real threat to heterosexual couples.
Unlike that situation, the fairness of allowing transgender athletes to participate in women's sports raises legitimate questions, making it harder to envision a PR campaign that would alter perceptions. Moreover, equating the right to play sports with the fundamental human right to marry adds another layer of complexity.
Throughout much of the 2024 election cycle, Democrats attempted to frame transgender rights as a non-issue, something only Republicans fixated on that impacted a small demographic. While that might have been a convenient narrative for managing LGBTQ+ advocacy group sentiments and for navigating interviews and debates, the election results in November indicated that avoiding the issue is not a viable strategy. Republicans are likely to continue wielding this topic as a powerful line of attack, and with the statements from Newsom and a few other Democrats, including Rep. Seth Moulton from Massachusetts, an opportunity for more direct conversations is emerging.
However, few Democrats are at ease adopting the stance taken by Newsom and Moulton, which is that transgender athletes should not compete in women’s sports. Many have pursued alternative messages. For example, during a January House debate concerning a bill to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports, Democratic leaders portrayed the legislation as a violation of privacy—accusing it of allowing coaches and administrators to conduct invasive searches of young athletes. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries termed the bill the “House Republican Child Predator Empowerment Act."
More recently, some congressional Democrats have rallied around the concept of federalism, advocating for localities, states, or individual sports leagues to determine policies regarding the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Boyle offered a hybrid response to my inquiries, stating, “At the end of the day, I'm much more comfortable, given these intricacies, with allowing the appropriate sports bodies to make these decisions rather than Congress legislating it — especially Congress legislating it in such a clumsy way that they would, whether intentionally or not, actually allow for genital inspections of minor girls.”
Yet, Democrats must confront whether voters will perceive such answers as evasive regarding critical issues at play. They also need to be aware that Trump and the Republicans will eagerly seize any new wedge issue that arises.
A preview of the contentious debate to come was evident during a Tuesday joint session where Trump called for lawmakers to “pass a bill permanently banning and criminalizing sex changes on children and forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body.”
This remains a complicated issue, with impacts extending beyond individual human rights and where public opinion appears to lean against where most Democratic officials currently stand. Recent polling from the Pew Research Center found that 56 percent of American adults oppose allowing medical care for gender transitions for minors, while only 26 percent support it.
Democrats are aware of the urgency in establishing their position as they navigate potential pitfalls ahead, especially considering the 2024 midterms. Boyle referred to Trump’s “they/them” advertising as “maybe the most effective ad since the Willie Horton ad in 1988,” likening it to the infamous campaign ad from George H.W. Bush that was both criticized by liberals and remarkably effective.
“When you don't respond immediately and when you don't hit back and you don't hit back harder, it can have devastating political consequences,” Boyle cautioned.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
The issue has already served as a potent weapon for President Donald Trump and other Republicans, notably hammering Kamala Harris with the memorable phrase, “Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you.” More significantly, polling data consistently indicates that while Americans do not support discrimination, they are also not in favor of transgender women competing in women's sports. A January New York Times/Ipsos poll revealed that 79 percent of respondents expressed doubts, including 67 percent of Democrats.
The backlash to Newsom’s comments, combined with the lack of support from fellow Democrats, illustrates the challenges the party faces in addressing this contentious issue and highlights their struggle to engage in open dialogue about it. Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who identifies as lesbian, characterized Newsom’s remarks as “disgusting,” while LGBTQ+ groups made it clear that any Democrat aligned with Newsom's viewpoint would jeopardize their presidential aspirations.
Even experienced party communicators view this subject as complicated. This was evident during my recent Playbook Deep Dive interview with Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, which took place shortly after Newsom's statements were made public. When I asked him to weigh in, he joked, “Are you sure we haven’t run out of time?” before respectfully engaging in a lengthy discussion about this delicate topic.
Sensitivity around the issue is certainly warranted. Democrats are reluctant to appear as if they are compromising on a matter they regard as a fundamental human rights issue. Boyle noted his concern about contributing to the bullying of a community that has faced relentless attacks from Republicans and has a high suicide rate.
He also compared this situation to the past debate on same-sex marriage, in which Democrats had historically played a role in opposition. The Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 passed both chambers of Congress with significant bipartisan support, and then-President Bill Clinton signed it into law just months before his reelection.
However, over the following two decades, the Democratic Party underwent a significant shift, leading to a successful campaign that transformed public opinion on same-sex marriage. This change contrasts with the complexities surrounding transgender rights, making the issue of women’s sports particularly challenging for Democrats.
The essence of the argument that swayed public opinion regarding same-sex marriage was fairness—it was fundamentally un-American to deny couples in loving relationships the same rights as others, especially when opponents could not substantiate that same-sex marriage posed any real threat to heterosexual couples.
Unlike that situation, the fairness of allowing transgender athletes to participate in women's sports raises legitimate questions, making it harder to envision a PR campaign that would alter perceptions. Moreover, equating the right to play sports with the fundamental human right to marry adds another layer of complexity.
Throughout much of the 2024 election cycle, Democrats attempted to frame transgender rights as a non-issue, something only Republicans fixated on that impacted a small demographic. While that might have been a convenient narrative for managing LGBTQ+ advocacy group sentiments and for navigating interviews and debates, the election results in November indicated that avoiding the issue is not a viable strategy. Republicans are likely to continue wielding this topic as a powerful line of attack, and with the statements from Newsom and a few other Democrats, including Rep. Seth Moulton from Massachusetts, an opportunity for more direct conversations is emerging.
However, few Democrats are at ease adopting the stance taken by Newsom and Moulton, which is that transgender athletes should not compete in women’s sports. Many have pursued alternative messages. For example, during a January House debate concerning a bill to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports, Democratic leaders portrayed the legislation as a violation of privacy—accusing it of allowing coaches and administrators to conduct invasive searches of young athletes. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries termed the bill the “House Republican Child Predator Empowerment Act."
More recently, some congressional Democrats have rallied around the concept of federalism, advocating for localities, states, or individual sports leagues to determine policies regarding the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Boyle offered a hybrid response to my inquiries, stating, “At the end of the day, I'm much more comfortable, given these intricacies, with allowing the appropriate sports bodies to make these decisions rather than Congress legislating it — especially Congress legislating it in such a clumsy way that they would, whether intentionally or not, actually allow for genital inspections of minor girls.”
Yet, Democrats must confront whether voters will perceive such answers as evasive regarding critical issues at play. They also need to be aware that Trump and the Republicans will eagerly seize any new wedge issue that arises.
A preview of the contentious debate to come was evident during a Tuesday joint session where Trump called for lawmakers to “pass a bill permanently banning and criminalizing sex changes on children and forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body.”
This remains a complicated issue, with impacts extending beyond individual human rights and where public opinion appears to lean against where most Democratic officials currently stand. Recent polling from the Pew Research Center found that 56 percent of American adults oppose allowing medical care for gender transitions for minors, while only 26 percent support it.
Democrats are aware of the urgency in establishing their position as they navigate potential pitfalls ahead, especially considering the 2024 midterms. Boyle referred to Trump’s “they/them” advertising as “maybe the most effective ad since the Willie Horton ad in 1988,” likening it to the infamous campaign ad from George H.W. Bush that was both criticized by liberals and remarkably effective.
“When you don't respond immediately and when you don't hit back and you don't hit back harder, it can have devastating political consequences,” Boyle cautioned.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
