Democrats Can Stand Up for Trans Kids—and Win
Here’s why the party shouldn’t be scared to speak up for trans rights.
![Participant seen holding a sign reading "Protect Trans Youth" at the Queer Liberation March on June 25, 2023 in New York City.](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/GettyImages-1259095640.jpg)
A sign at the Queer Liberation March on June 25, 2023, in New York City.
(Erik McGregor / LightRocket via Getty Images)Over the past few election cycles, many Democrats have been running scared.
Back in the 2022 midterms, the issue Democrats feared most was crime. As Republican candidates released thousands of ads focusing on violent crime, the Democratic consultant class panicked. According to them, the topic was such a lost cause that the Democrats’ only options were to pander or change the subject.
In the end, many Democrats who stood their ground on criminal justice, like John Fetterman and Brandon Johnson, went on to win their elections.
Now, just in time for critical races this year and next, Republicans have found an equally potent issue: trans kids. Campaigning in North Carolina this summer, Donald Trump explained the appeal: “I talk about transgender, everyone goes crazy. Who would have thought? Five years ago, you didn’t know what the hell it was.”
Across the country, Republican candidates have manufactured a cultural crisis that they claim threatens our children’s schools, sports, and overall safety—all while pushing their own regressive policies that actually harm children. In other words, they’re at war with our kids, in the name of our kids, to devastating political effect.
The underlying hypocrisy of the message is beside the point; it’s all part of a broader strategy. In Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, the man who rode to the governor’s mansion on a similarly manufactured wave of fear about critical race theory in 2021, is at it again. Youngkin is stirring up more panic over trans kids ahead of this year’s elections in the General Assembly, when every seat is up for grabs.
If he helps secure a Republican majority, Youngkin can do more than roll back LGBTQ rights. He’ll erase Virginia’s progressive gains on everything from gun safety to abortion to climate to voting rights—and take his vision (and a possible presidential candidacy) national.
And Youngkin is not alone. Just this year, far-right politicians have introduced hundreds of bills nationwide targeting transgender youth, while extreme MAGA Republicans in the US House have added anti-trans provisions to must-pass funding bills. As trans kids move to center stage, how should Democrats respond?
Some might be tempted to cower. But I’ve got good news: Far from running for cover, the best thing for Democrats to do—both morally and politically—is to lean in, speak out, and support trans kids and their families.
Why?
In an age of political cynicism, let’s start with the most obvious and important reason: It’s the right thing to do. Scientific evidence proves over and over again that gender-affirming care is essential to trans kids. One study found a 14.4 percent decrease in suicide attempts when hormone replacement therapy was started between the ages of 14 and 17. The decrease was largest when therapy began at age 14 or 15. We’re talking about saving our kids’ lives. If those are the terms of a “culture war,” we must win.
But it is more than the right thing to do. It can also be a path to victory. There’s no reason for Democrats to be afraid and show up on defense. Sixty-four percent of Americans favor protecting trans people from discrimination, according to the Pew Research Center. A survey by Selzer & Co./Grinnell College found that a majority of Americans oppose bans on gender-affirming care for those under 18. Progressive elected officials are showing us that it is possible to go on the offense. In Minnesota, for example, Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order guaranteeing that gender-affirming care will remain available in the state.
Popular
“swipe left below to view more authors”Swipe →Transgender youth, like all youth, have the best chance to thrive when they are supported and can get medically necessary care. No politician should stand in the way of that care.
We will never realize the power of our progressive majority by giving in to an agenda of fear. From abortion rights to trans rights, freedom over our bodies is fundamental to every other freedom, and American voters are fed up as they watch their fundamental rights disappear. In a fight this consequential, Democrats must not only show up but win.
We need your support
What’s at stake this November is the future of our democracy. Yet Nation readers know the fight for justice, equity, and peace doesn’t stop in November. Change doesn’t happen overnight. We need sustained, fearless journalism to advocate for bold ideas, expose corruption, defend our democracy, secure our bodily rights, promote peace, and protect the environment.
This month, we’re calling on you to give a monthly donation to support The Nation’s independent journalism. If you’ve read this far, I know you value our journalism that speaks truth to power in a way corporate-owned media never can. The most effective way to support The Nation is by becoming a monthly donor; this will provide us with a reliable funding base.
In the coming months, our writers will be working to bring you what you need to know—from John Nichols on the election, Elie Mystal on justice and injustice, Chris Lehmann’s reporting from inside the beltway, Joan Walsh with insightful political analysis, Jeet Heer’s crackling wit, and Amy Littlefield on the front lines of the fight for abortion access. For as little as $10 a month, you can empower our dedicated writers, editors, and fact checkers to report deeply on the most critical issues of our day.
Set up a monthly recurring donation today and join the committed community of readers who make our journalism possible for the long haul. For nearly 160 years, The Nation has stood for truth and justice—can you help us thrive for 160 more?
Onwards,
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation
More from The Nation
![Democratic presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris, speaks during a debate on October 7, 2020, in Salt Lake City, and Republican presidential candidate former president Donald Trump speaks during a debate on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AP24216604258749.jpg)
How to Debate Donald Trump How to Debate Donald Trump
There’s almost no way to “win” a debate against a serially unserious liar like Trump, but if Harris can knock him off his vibe, she might stand a chance.
![Liz Cheney looking intently, speaking at a podium that reads](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/liz-cheney-gt-img.jpg)
Liz Cheney Finally Proved Me Right Liz Cheney Finally Proved Me Right
Fifteen years ago, she told me we had no common ground. I disagreed. This week she endorsed Kamala Harris, and she has my gratitude.
![There Is No Peace Without Justice](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1440_FEAT-3.jpg)
There Is No Peace Without Justice There Is No Peace Without Justice
Defend justice and human rights for all.
![A close up shot of VP candidate JD Vance mid-speech.](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/JD_Vance-2300Arena-getty.jpg)
Democrats Dismiss JD Vance at Their Peril Democrats Dismiss JD Vance at Their Peril
Calling the Ohio senator "weird" may feel satisfying. Pundits have dismissed him as a drag on the ticket. But the smarter play would still be to steal his thunder.
![Voters submit their ballots in Madison, Wisconsin.](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Wisconsin-Election-2024.jpg)
How Wisconsin Democrats Easily Defeated 2 Conservative Constitutional Amendments How Wisconsin Democrats Easily Defeated 2 Conservative Constitutional Amendments
The August partisan primary marked the second time since 1996 that voters in the state rejected a constitutional amendment.