Democrats, meanwhile, seem all too willing to compromise, having turned their attention to less “controversial” battles. Zohran Mamdani and Tim Walz are some of the rare politicians who have continued to champion gender-affirming care, whereas many other prominent members of their party, such as Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris, have backed down on their previous support of trans issues. Trans participation in sports is often a particular point of contention on the left. Last year, Massachusetts representative Seth 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.” By shifting the conversation to sports, Democrats obscure larger issues like the assault on trans health care. Trans people are not just a cultural war issue. They deserve material rights.
We became too political for the politicians to support us. They were happy to champion our right to exist and live with dignity when all it took was a flag and sound bites. But the moment the right brought up “sports”, it became nuanced, and therefore too politically inconvenient for them to fight for us. This is why so many of us have looked further to the left for representation and community.
I know that I won’t forget the fact that they abandoned us as easily as they did.
They deserve nothing but contempt.