Representative Seth Moulton (D., Mass.), who made headlines last year after he broke with Democrats and acknowledged that he wouldn’t want men playing sports with his own daughters, has now done an about-face on the issue of “trans rights” as he kicks off his Senate bid in deep blue Massachusetts.
The five-term congressman is running in the Democratic primary against incumbent Democratic Senator Ed Markey, who recently appeared at a “No Kings” protest draped in a pink and blue trans rights flag.
“Here in Massachusetts, we stand for what is right. We stand with trans people because trans rights are human rights,” Markey said at the event, to applause from the crowd.
Now, Moulton seems to be moving to the left on the issue, just one year after he cited identity politics as a contributing factor to his party’s electoral struggles in November 2024.
“I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete,” Moulton told New York Times reporter Reid Epstein last year. “But as a Democrat, I’m supposed to be afraid to say that.”
However, Moulton is now walking back his comments.
“I understand that some people were hurt by how I framed my comments in the past, and I take that seriously and have listened to their feedback,” he told NOTUS.
“My intent has always been to push our party to have honest, tough conversations so we can fight back more effectively against the far-right attacks on LGBTQ Americans. I remain committed to protecting the rights and dignity of transgender Americans and to having these conversations with empathy and respect, even when they’re difficult,” Moulton continued.
He added that he has “heard from a lot of LGBTQ+ advocates, both locally and nationally, who have reached out to thank me for my past support and for starting a conversation that our party needs to have about the best way to protect the trans community.”
He said in the last year he has “spoken with many in the trans community. I’ve listened, I’ve learned, and I understand why those words hurt people. I take responsibility for that.”
“My approach is to engage honestly, even on tough issues, and to make sure our policies reflect our values. That’s what I’ve done in Congress and what I’ll continue to do in the Senate,” Moulton added.
He went so far as to vow to “support and lead legislation like the Transgender Bill of Rights” if elected as senator.
Moulton told the outlet that there is no room in the Democratic Party for complete opposition to trans rights, and he says on his campaign website that he is committed to fighting to “pass full federal LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination policies” and to supporting the Equality Act.
Moulton was one of several Democrats last year who came to the conclusion that identity politics had hurt the party’s appeal with voters as President Trump easily bested Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race, and Republicans assumed controlled of the White House and both chambers of Congress.
Representative Tom Suozzi (D., N.Y.) came to a similar conclusion last November, saying that Democrats who won on Election Day did so by distancing themselves from the party’s radical positions on social issues.
“Democrats have to stop pandering to the far left. I don’t want to discriminate against anybody, but I don’t think biological boys should be playing in girls’ sports,” Suozzi said, according to the New York Times. “Democrats aren’t saying that, and they should be.”
Even California Governor Gavin Newsom later diverged from the Party’s commitment to allowing transgender-identifying male athletes participate in female sports, saying it is “deeply unfair” for women.
“I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair,” the California Democrat said in the first episode of his podcast, which was an interview with conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “I am not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”