Since Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election, the Democratic Party has searched for answers to explain Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat, pointing to the Democrats’ weak economic agenda, Harris’ failure to address voters’ concerns in the Middle East and Biden’s initial reluctance to leave the race. On Nov. 7, The New York Times published an article analyzing the Democrats’ defeat, in which Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat who represents Massachusetts’ 6th congressional district, criticized the party’s stance on transgender rights.
Moulton told the Times, “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.” Although he has faced backlash for his comments since the article’s publication, Moulton has only doubled down on his embrace of openly hateful, transphobic language. The congressman has embarked on an extensive press run of self-victimization, claiming that the backlash to his comments is the result of the Democratic Party’s inability to “have discussions about contentious issues that resonate with a lot of voters.”
In the aftermath of these comments, David Art, chair of the Tufts Department of Political Science, called Moulton’s office and threatened to block future student internships with the congressman. Days later, the University released a statement declaring their intentions to continue their work with Moulton’s office. Moulton, of course, couldn’t resist another jab, saying that “[Tufts is] teaching their students that you can’t debate contentious issues. And that’s frightening. That sounds like China.”
As Tufts students, we believe that cutting ties with Moulton’s office is not a suppression of speech. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It is our way of expressing our disgust with Moulton’s brazen scapegoating of an already oppressed community. We must ask Tufts and the Department of Political Science to stand with Professor Art’s decision and end their relationship with Moulton’s office.
With his comments, Moulton is abandoning his previous support of LGBTQ+ rights in favor of pursuing a harmful political narrative that the Republican Party has pushed throughout the election. These political efforts are happening as a part of a larger attack on LGBTQ+ rights — more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across the country this year, many of them targeting school sports, facilities and curricula. These bills pose an alarming threat to queer youth, as nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ young people said their mental health was affected by anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Especially amid rising rates of depression and extremely high rates of suicidal ideation among trans adults, and an epidemic of violence against trans individuals, we must do everything we can to support and affirm the trans community, instead of using their lives as political fodder.
Furthermore, Moulton’s argument is inaccurate and hateful toward the trans community. His word choice depicts trans people as violent impostors, instead of treating them as humans. His children, currently ages 3 and 6, have no reason to be concerned about trans athletes, nor does anyone else. His comments play into a narrative that overstates the biological differences between people assigned male at birth and those assigned female at birth, which are often weaponized to exclude trans people and undermine their identities. There is no concrete evidence that trans athletes have unfair advantages over cisgender athletes — cis athletes have naturally different body types and levels of gender hormones too, and we don’t restrict athletes based on those characteristics. Would we impose a height limit on basketball players? The choice to draw the line at gender is clearly a political one.
Additionally, the argument that including trans athletes in sports will take opportunities away from cisgender athletes is ridiculous. In fact, the opposite seems to be true — states that have enacted policies hostile to trans female athletes have seen decreased participation in girls’ sports across the board. Attacks on trans people endanger all of us by reinforcing traditional gender stereotypes and promoting gender-based discrimination — look no further than Imane Khelif, a cis female boxer from Algeria, who faced an onslaught of harassment during this year’s Olympics.
While some politicians have denounced Moulton’s comments, including Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo, others have defended his statements or stayed quiet. Many politicians, including Moulton’s Democratic colleagues in Massachusetts, have not come out unequivocally against his harmful rhetoric. By legitimizing transphobia, Moulton has given his colleagues permission to stay silent on the issue. Massachusetts has long been at the forefront of advancing LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S., and this role is more important now than ever with a newly elected Republican trifecta hostile to LGBTQ+ Americans at the federal level. We can’t take Democrats’ support of trans rights for granted — instead, we must put pressure on the politicians who represent us and urge them to take action.
In the wake of the election, it’s time for Democrats to stop playing the post-election blame game. There’s no point in arguing about why Harris lost, because there is no singular answer. Many politicians have made valid criticisms of the party’s strategy, but Moulton’s decision to turn his back on his base and scapegoat trans children to win political points is incredibly shameful. The Democratic Party is a broad coalition that can — and should — have differences, but they must draw the line at attacks on people’s basic humanity.
So, what can we do to stand up against Moulton and anti-trans politicians across the country? First, we can call on Moulton to issue an apology and reaffirm his commitment to LGBTQ+ rights. If you live in or around Moulton’s district, call his office or send him an email to voice your concerns. We must also ask Moulton’s colleagues to denounce his comments and show their support for LGBTQ+ youth at a time when they desperately need it. Reach out to your legislators, even if you live in a blue district. Finally, we must all continue to support the trans and LGBTQ+ people in our own lives every day. By calling out hateful rhetoric and normalizing acceptance and allyship, we can help undo the damage of Moulton’s rhetoric and work towards a political system rooted in empathy and mutual understanding.
