Policy over transgender Americans’ rights is poised to become a key wedge issue during the midterms, and Democratic politicians are already ducking and dodging clear positions. But without concrete stances, the party stands to lose more base voters, strategists say.
“The backsliding shows voters exactly who’s willing to fight and who isn’t,” said Tyler Hack, the founder and executive director of Christopher Street Project, a political action committee that endorses candidates with commitments to protecting trans rights. “Some Democrats soften or side step trans rights. It doesn’t read as strategic. It reads as hesitation in the face of coordinated attacks. Voters, especially young voters and folks in the party space, can tell the difference between leadership and retreat.”
