Moulton bucks Democratic orthodoxy, faces backlash over trans athlete comments
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Moulton faced reporters at a Veterans Day event Monday. Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Salem U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton has become the local poster boy for Democrats willing to cross the progressive elements of the party in the aftermath of the disastrous 2024 election.
Why it matters: Moulton says he wants Democrats to appeal to a wider audience by deemphasizing divisive issues like transgender athletes' participation in youth sports.
- He's created a firestorm at home but stands by his national appeal for a broader Democratic coalition that can win.
Catch up quick: Moulton was one of many politicians featured in the New York Times' comprehensive look at the Democratic party's failure last week.
- In a brief few paragraphs about identity politics, Moulton said his party spends "way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest," about the challenges Americans face.
- While illustrating his political point, he got himself in hot water: "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."
Reality check: The discourse on this topic can overlook that transgender youth may be using blockers, which delay puberty, and hormone therapy, which eventually lets the body develop features in line with their gender identity.
- For transgender girls, for example, puberty blockers can temporarily prevent the shoulders from broadening or facial hair from growing, Michelle Forcier, a pediatrics professor at Brown University, told CNN.
- They typically stop a transgender boy from developing breasts or wide hips temporarily.
What they're saying: In a follow-up interview with GBH News, Moulton repeated that if Democrats can't find a way to make their side of divisive issues appealing to voters, "it's going to be the Republicans with their radical agenda, that absolutely will take away rights from minorities all across the country."
Moulton has said since then he should have been more careful with his wording about transgender youth, but he's standing by his broader point about breaking Democratic orthodoxy.
- He now says the fervor over his Times comment proves his point that Democrats "can't even have these discussions as a party."
Zoom in: Some of his constituents very much want to have a discussion with Moulton about sports safety and his comments.
- Tony Leone of the North Shore Alliance of LGBTQ Youth told Axios the group is putting out a call to action for Moulton to discuss transgender issues and "why what [Moulton] said was damaging in many different ways" to LGBTQ youth.
- Leone said Moulton could have made his point about the priorities of Democrats without calling transgender girls "formerly male" and that he hopes Moulton will be open to sitting down.