On Thursday, March 6, California Governor Gavin Newsom invited far-right commentator and leader of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, for a friendly discussion of policy on his podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom”. In the 75-minute interview, Newsom implied he “agreed” with Kirk on several issues–including his opposition to transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
His statements were strongly condemned by LGBTQ+ advocates in California. While they were called “shocking”, I disagree. The Democratic party has been catering to conservatives by distancing itself from trans rights for a while.
Newsom has stood up for the LGBTQ+ community in the past, famously issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in San Francisco before it was legal nationwide. But, in the past few years, as his chances of running for president have improved, he started vetoing and reversing legislation supporting the trans community.
After the chaos of the 2024 election, the whole Democratic Party became split on trans rights, with some progressives maintaining support and moderates blaming their loss on a “pandering” to the “far left”. While Congressional voting habits have not fundamentally changed, this uncertainty has allowed anti-trans ideology to grow within the party.
This shift has also occurred in purportedly liberal news organizations.
A week before Newsom’s podcast, on Feb. 28, The New York Times’ Opinion Column shared their stances on crucial policies from Trump’s first full month in office, plotting major policy changes on a chart measuring their impact from most to least consequential and most positive to most negative outcome.
Trans issues were categorized as the least consequential of all recent areas of Trump’s policy, with only a slight negative impact.
The columnists explained their reasoning in a few ways: the trans community is too small; trans rights are a “culture war issue” that distract from more important things; anti-trans hatred is inevitable, so Trump’s recent executive orders aren’t a big deal.
One columnist also openly stated he did not believe “biological males should compete in women’s sports.” By not presenting an opposing view, the Times has effectively co-signed this dehumanizing rhetoric.
Major liberal and centrist news organizations have been publishing op-eds and features that cater to anti-trans ideology for several years. These pieces often disproportionately favor the perspectives of anti-trans detransitioners, “trans-exclusionary radical feminists”, parents-rights activists, and other right-wing ideologues. They promote narratives based on skewed data and advocate for heavy restrictions on trans access to healthcare, gendered spaces, and public life.
It is neither new nor surprising that Democrats and liberal media are acclimatizing themselves to anti-trans rhetoric in this current moment. They have both spent the past year and a half promoting skewed narratives of the genocide in Gaza, creating a media atmosphere that promotes U.S. funding to Israel and demonizes opposition. Given that American supporters of Israel lean Republican or conservative, it was inevitable that this alliance would lead to liberals shifting right.
The material effects of the rhetorical shift have been profound. A New York Times/Ipsos poll shows that 7 out of 10 Democrats now oppose the integration of trans women in women’s sports. About half of Americans now want to require trans people to use the bathroom matching their coercively-assigned sex at birth, rather than their actual gender. A majority now support the criminalization of gender-affirming healthcare for those under 18. All numbers are up from 2022.
In the past few years, hundreds of anti-trans bills have been proposed across the country. Nearly half of all states are considered dangerous for trans people to live in, according to prominent trans journalist, Erin Reed. Transgender people are increasingly being denied gender marker changes on their legal documents, or having their documents altered without their consent, including actress Hunter Schafer, who spoke out in a viral TikTok. Incarcerated trans people are increasingly being forced to risk sexual assault in prisons that do not match their gender. The list goes on.
So, no, trans rights are not “inconsequential”. There is no “agreement” to be had with someone who wants to get rid of what little legal protection this community has.
Politicians and news organizations need to fulfill their responsibility toward respecting the humanity of all people. The rest of us need to hold them accountable when they don’t.
