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submitted 1 day ago by TRAHR@quokk.au to c/politics@lemmy.world

For the second election cycle in a row, the rights of transgender people have taken center stage politically, despite their accounting for only about 1% of the U.S. population and many voters identifying other issues as far more important — splitting Republicans and Democrats, but also Democrats among themselves and putting the party on the defensive.

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[-] Sunflier@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

Dems can't come up with the easy messaging of 'Its just easier to leave people alone and set forth their own self expression that makes them happy' or 'Stop being bullies and picking on 1% of 1% of the population'? Maybe even try asking voters how they're harmed by trans people who they're unlikely to ever encounter.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 31 points 1 day ago

FFS they do this every election cycle, and have for decades.

Question isn’t anything about the GOP, the question is about the media.

In the 80s it was about “urban” issues. Then gay issues. More gay issues. Some tepid “terror” issues. Gay marriage issues. Now its trans issues.

They do it because it’s worked every time.

[-] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Strategy: defend trans people and empathy for others, condemn shitty behavior, pearl clutching, and bigotry.

If you can't do that, it shows you agree with their ignorance and hate, and you are part of the problem.

Basically, a lot of Democrats (enough Democrats) are part of the problem.

Being a hateful idiot is easy. Searching for new knowledge, wisdom, and seeking to know more - it takes a lot of maturity to do those things.

[-] rockSlayer@lemmy.blahaj.zone 38 points 1 day ago

They're searching for a strategy because they're transphobes too, but want to seem different

[-] Wytch@lemmy.zip 27 points 1 day ago

"Defending human rights" is difficult when you like... don't think they apply to everyone

[-] BigMacHole@thelemmy.club 15 points 1 day ago

WHY did the Republicans HAVE to Make us Support EVERYONE?

-LITERALLY Democrats!

[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

I think most Democratic politicians support everyone as well, however, the Republicans keep hitting on sports, since that's like an 80/20 thing, and they fucking well know it. It is the only reason we are talking about something that likely affects so few people in an already marginalized group.

They desperately want Democrats talking about something only 20% of the country supports, because on virtually every other issue, Republicans are in the red.

Most Democrats should not even take the bait on sports. Say they support human rights for all, and pivot to hitting Republicans not supporting rights and asking why they are so obsessed with children and sports, while they are fucking up everything else: forever wars, everything is expensive, our health care is getting ripped away, data centers, AI, future of jobs, kidnapping and disappearing people, attacking democracy, attacking free speech and the media, etc....

It's an 80/20 thing precisely because Democrats have been so dogshit at defending trans issues. Most dems are deeply uncomfortable with trans people and find us weird and strange. So they don't bother learning how to speak plainly and supportively on trans issues.

For example, a simple retort on sports is, "trans girls have performance more like cis girls than cis boys. Anyone telling you otherwise is fucking liar."

[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Eh, I don't think an 80/20 thing like this has anything to do with what Democrats do or don't do. It's a cultural thing, and it's going to take a while before that needle moves.

There may be a lot of things Democrats are doing badly, could do better, are dropping the ball on, etc., but it's not like they can change the culture overnight. It wasn't really the Democrats that moved the needle on things like gay marriage, either. Probably very similar breakdown on that as there is on sports. You'd hear stuff like "well, we shouldn't arrest them for what two adults do, but why do they want to call it marriage? Why not create a separate but equal institution and call it 'civil union'? The term "marriage" belongs to xtians, etc. (LOL, are they not merciful)". But eventually the culture generally shifted.

You hear things like that now on trans - people that understand it's a human rights thing. But are not all the way there on sports. And specifically on that. It's not exactly the same, but it does rhyme.

That's why I don't think it's worth Democratic politicians' time to play the Republican gotcha game on this. They should acknowledge their values - human rights are to be upheld, why are the freaks in the Republican Party so obsessed with the genitals of children anyway? How do sports even make the top 50 of the list of concerns for the American people? Mock the conservatives for their trivial and hateful obsessions, and move right on to issues (affordability, Iran war, assaults on human rights across the board, AI and AI data centers) that they have a clear lead on. Talking about "men in women's sports" is just accepting the Republican framing on it as well.

[-] alapakala@quokk.au 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Operation Enduring Freedom demonstrated otherwise. Palestine&Iran still Q.E.D..

[-] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

It’s called a culture war. And it works. Unfortunately.

[-] Smeagol666@crazypeople.online 0 points 1 day ago

It's because these rainbow fascists (aka Democrats) are beholden to the same moneyed interests as Republicans. Some people on the left are starting to wake up to the fact that identity politics is being pushed to the forefront to divide the left and keep them as ineffectual as ever.

[-] Spartan117@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

republicans pass literally hundreds of anti trans bills, democrats are trying to stop and undo those bills because this is America and we have freedom, and dipshits like you call them the same and call democrats "rainbow fascists" for trying to keep and restore the rights of trans people. i fucking hate "independents".

[-] Smeagol666@crazypeople.online 3 points 1 day ago

Gavin Newsome, the governor of California, just vetoed a trans rights bill, so go cry to someone else. There's your fucking Dems at work, idiot.

[-] Wataba@sh.itjust.works 2 points 23 hours ago

I hope ICE takes you away

We're not talking about all Democrats. We're not even really talking about Democrats. We're talking about DINOs- Democrats in Name Only. Those are the transphobes pretending to be Democrats that cheated their way past a Democratic primary.

this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2026
81 points (98.8% liked)

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