Moulton responds to backlash over comments about trans athletes

Rep. Seth Moulton is facing backlash from fellow Democrats and the LGBTQ community over comments he made to the New York Times after the election this week.

The Democrat from Salem was quoted in a story on identity politics, making an argument that the party was not focusing on the issues most important to voters.

“Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face,” Moulton is quoted as saying. “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.”

The comments brought swift condemnation from the LGBTQ community and other Democrats. Mass Equity, an advocacy group, said the congressman’s comments were both harmful and factually inaccurate.

"Referring to transgender athletes as 'male or formerly male,' the Congressmen's remarks were both harmful and factually inaccurate," the statement read in part. "These statements contribute to the ongoing stigmatization of transgender people, especially transgender women and girls, in sports."

Mass Equality Responds to Congressman @sethmoulton’s attacks on Transgender Athletes pic.twitter.com/EyBLEUT86N

— MassEquality (@massequality) November 7, 2024

State Rep. John Moran, an openly gay Democrat from Boston's South End, posted on X Friday, calling Moulton “weak.”

“The only thing we here in Massachusetts shouldn’t be afraid to say is that you should find another job if you want to use an election loss as an opportunity to pick on our most vulnerable,” he wrote. “Weak!”

The Boston Globe reports that state Republicans, however, applauded Moulton's comments.

“The backlash against Congressman Moulton for making this statement is one reason why Democrats suffered significant losses across the country this election cycle,” party Chair Amy Carnevale told the newspaper. “Republicans agree that it’s entirely possible to respect gender preferences while also acknowledging that the physical differences between men and women create distinct risks in sports.”

When asked to comment on the fallout from his comments, Moulton released a follow up statement to NBC10 Boston on Friday that reads:

“I stand firmly in my belief for the need for competitive women's sports to put limits on the participation of those with the unfair physical advantages that come with being born male. I am also a strong supporter of the civil rights of all Americans, including transgender rights. I will fight, as I always have, for the rights and safety of all citizens. These two ideas are not mutually exclusive, and we can even disagree on them. Yet there are many who, shouting from the extreme left corners of social media, believe I have failed the unspoken Democratic Party purity test. We did not lose the 2024 election because of any trans person or issue. We lost, in part, because we shame and belittle too many opinions held by too many voters and that needs to stop. Let’s have these debates now, determine a new strategy for our party since our existing one failed, and then unite to oppose the Trump agenda wherever it imperils American values.”

The Boston Globe reports that a top aide to the congressman resigned Thursday, though a reason for the departure was not given.