Some Dems Take a Different Approach to Trans Issues This Year

James Talarico isn't the only Democrat trying to rewrite history with regard to his support for trans issues. While the issue doesn't seem to be the most important one for most voters this year, Republicans are running ads about it. Instead of fighting back, some Democrats are folding on the issue, even openly stating their opposition on issues like boys in girls' sports.

While most Democratic officials remain steadfast supporters of the transgender community, an increasing number in red and blue states are distancing themselves from their party's unflinching support for the transgender community's policy priorities, such as allowing athletes to compete on teams that match their gender identity. The shift follows years of conservative attacks against Democrats on the divisive issue, which affects a relatively small number of transgender people and their families, but has emerged as one of Republicans' most potent political weapons in the Trump era.

Soul searching over transgender issues is one facet of a sprawling identity crisis that Democrats are confronting during the midterms and before the next presidential election. Although they risk a backlash from their progressive base, there is also a sense in some corners that the party must evolve on an issue where the overwhelming majority of voters — even many Democrats — agree with Trump...

A political group backed by billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk has begun running digital ads targeting Democrats in key Senate races in Texas, Ohio and Alaska, accusing them of allowing men to compete in women's sports.

In Texas' pivotal Senate contest, the new ad from Musk's America PAC opens with a video clip of Talarico saying that "God is nonbinary."

Talarico began to distance himself from those positions months ago. He went further in a Fox News interview last week, saying he would vote in favor of a national ban for gender-affirming surgeries for transgender minors, which are rare.

We've all seen Talarico try to tap dance through his past statements but he's not alone this year.

In Iowa, State Auditor Rob Sand, the Democratic Party's nominee for governor, has spoken out against transgender athletes competing in women's sports as a matter of fairness. Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton has taken a similar position, although she has drawn criticism from the left for adopting Trump's language after saying she opposed "boys playing in girls' sports."

Another candidate getting attention this week is Rep. Marcy Kaptur. She's been proactively running ads that point out she does not support some unpopular issues.

Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur, whose redrawn district went for Trump by almost 11 points in 2024, has been rebuked by some Democrats in her district for airing ads recently that note she “voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of schools.” The Democratic Party in Lucas County, home to Kaptur’s hometown of Toledo, called on her Tuesday to take down the ads, saying she “stooped” to the level of Republicans.

Kaptur’s campaign stood by the general message of the ads in a statement, saying she “supports parents having more insight into their children’s education.”

The LGBT advocacy group Equality Ohio changed its rating of Kaptur from “B” to “D” after her latest ads...

Here's one of her recent ads in which she touts saying no to "gender ideology" in schools.

#OH09: Incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) is up on TV with this response spot --

Kaptur to camera:

"We're stuck in another unnecessary war and inflation is making everything worse. But, my opponent won't talk about all that. He'd rather lie about my record"

"Well, here's the… pic.twitter.com/SncdXUndq4

— Medium Buying (@MediumBuying) September 17, 2026

And here's a follow-up ad repeating the same message:

#OH09

AdImpact: Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) releases another ad

“I've repeatedly said no to my own party, no to defunding the police, no to open border policies, and no to teaching gender ideology in schools. I work for you.” https://t.co/OYFNZErwSQ pic.twitter.com/0qkXqw91rt

— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) September 21, 2026

That language hasn't gone over well with groups like GLAAD.

The national LGBTQ+ media monitoring nonprofit GLAAD has called use of the term “gender ideology” an anti-transgender dogwhistle, describing it as “a malicious rhetorical construct that falsely asserts that LGBTQ – notably trans – people are an ideological movement rather than an intrinsic identity.”

There's obviously some truth to the fact that people aren't a monolith because they are trans (or whatever else). That said, it's pretty silly to deny there is an extremely vocal contingent of trans activists out there (many of whom are not trans themselves) who have treated the identity as a movement of sorts. The online activists refuse to allow any disagreement with their own maximalist position. 

But that no longer seems to be working as a majority of people now say they don't agree with some of the more extreme positions, such as putting trans women in women's prisons or trans girls in girls' sports or allowing children to have life-altering surgeries. America has slowly caught up to where the UK and several other countries are regarding many of these issues but the media and the trans activists continue to dominate much of the talk about these issues online. Instead of being treated as fringe activists, they are still given a lot of airtime for their views.

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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