Latest news with #Gallego
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Gallego: Concerns about trans athletes ‘legitimate'
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) says Democrats should be more open to hearing 'legitimate' concerns about transgender students participating in girls and women's sports, the latest in a recent string of Democrats to break publicly with the party on an issue championed by Republicans. 'As a parent of a daughter, I think it's legitimate that parents are worried about the safety of their daughters, and I think it's legitimate for us to be worried also about fair competition,' Gallego said in an interview published Thursday with The Dispatch, a right-leaning digital magazine. 'And I think the parents of these trans children also are worried legitimately about the health and wellness of their kids.' 'There are some sports that some of these trans children should not be playing,' he continued, adding that it should be up to local entities such as school boards or athletic associations to establish eligibility requirements for trans athletes and determine sports where 'there should be a separation' based on sex at birth. But the overarching message to transgender youth, he said, should be rooted in compassion. 'Hey, listen, we love you. We want you to be part of our community, but this is just the one place you can't play, and let's find other activities for you to be involved,' Gallego said. The Arizona lawmaker, first elected to the House in 2014 before winning a competitive Senate seat last year, previously backed legislation in Congress supporting transgender rights. He is a four-time co-sponsor of the Equality Act, legislation to make sexual orientation and gender identity federally protected classes, and served as a vice chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, which works to advance LGBTQ rights in the House. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ advocacy group that endorsed Gallego's Senate bid, did not immediately return a request for comment on his remarks about trans athletes. More than half the nation, including Arizona, has adopted laws that either outright ban or restrict transgender students from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity. Federal court rulings are blocking the enforcement of laws passed in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah, West Virginia and New Hampshire. Gallego is the latest of a handful of Democrats to voice opposition to allowing transgender girls to participate in girls sports. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) — who, like Gallego, is a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination — said he believes trans athletes competing against and alongside cisgender girls is 'deeply unfair,' and he would be 'open' to having a conversation about limiting their participation in California. Responding to a policy announced this week by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) allowing more girls to compete in state track-and-field championship events where a transgender girl also qualified, a spokesperson for Newsom said the governor 'is encouraged by this thoughtful approach.' 'CIF's proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing,' the spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, said. At least four other Democrats in Congress have said they oppose transgender student-athletes participating in girls and women's sports. Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi (N.Y.) and Seth Moulton (Mass.) spoke out against the party's broad support for trans athletes in the immediate aftermath of the November elections, which saw Republicans retake control of both chambers and the White House. GOP candidates, including President Trump, zeroed in on transgender rights while on the campaign trail. In January, two Texas members, Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, were the only Democrats to vote with Republicans to advance legislation to ban transgender girls from competing in girls school sports nationwide. 'I believe that there should be rules to keep our sports fair and that boys should not play in girls sports,' Gonzales said following his vote. A spokesperson for Cuellar told The Hill in January that the Texas lawmaker, who voted against the same bill in 2023, changed his vote 'based on the concerns and feedback he received from constituents in his district.' In a New York Times/Ipsos poll published in February, 79 percent of surveyed Americans said trans athletes should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. A Pew Research Center survey released the same month found Americans have grown more supportive of policies restricting transgender rights, including ones that require athletes to compete on sports teams that match their birth sex. An AP-NORC poll released this month found that roughly half of U.S. adults approve of Trump's handling of transgender issues, including 19 percent of Democrats. The president has targeted trans rights through sweeping policy changes and several executive orders, including one aimed at banning transgender athletes from girls and women's sports. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Progressive Sen. Ruben Gallego admits ‘legitimate' concerns about trans athletes in girl's sports
Freshman Sen. Ruben Gallego, seen by some observers as a possible 2028 Democratic dark horse, has admitted that there are 'legitimate' issues with male-to-female transgender athletes competing in women's and girl's sports, splitting from many of his fellow progressives. 'As a parent of a daughter, I think it's legitimate that parents are worried about the safety of their daughters, and I think it's legitimate for us to be worried also about fair competition,' Gallego (D-Ariz.) told The Dispatch in an interview published Thursday. 'And I think the parents of these trans children also are worried, legitimately, about the health and wellness of their kids.' Advertisement Gallego, 45, went on to argue that the issue of transgender competition in 'some' school sports should be left to 'local institutions,' without elaborating. 3 Sen. Ruben Gallego tried to stake out middle ground on the thorny issue. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images 3 Democrats have been under pressure from progressives to allow transgenders to compete in women's sports. Getty Images Advertisement In other cases, the senator added, the message to trans would-be competitors should be: 'Hey, listen, we love you. We want you to be part of our community, but this is just the one place you can't play, and let's find other activities for you to be involved.' Gallego and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan were the only two Democrats to win Senate seats in states that President Trump won in the 2024 election. The Arizonan is not the only Democrat to distance themselves from most progressives on the issue of protecting women's sports. 'I have two 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,' Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said days after the election, drawing backlash from left-wingers. Advertisement 3 California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted that allow transgenders to compete in women's sports seems 'deeply unfair.' AP Earlier this year, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, another rumored 2028 aspirant, admitted that allowing transgender competitors in women's sports is 'deeply unfair.' 'I think it's an issue of fairness; I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it's deeply unfair,' the governor said on his podcast during a March interview with conservative pundit Charlie Kirk. Advertisement Earlier this week, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which governs high school athletics in the Golden State, tweaked eligibility rules for a track and field championship to allow 'any biological female student-athlete' into the event who failed to qualify because they were defeated by transgender athletes. Trump had threatened to cut federal funding for California over the issue and the Justice Department opened a Title IX investigation into the matter Wednesday.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Gallego: Concerns about trans athletes ‘legitimate'
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) says Democrats should be more open to hearing 'legitimate' concerns about transgender students participating in girls' and women's sports, the latest in a recent string of Democrats to break publicly with the party on an issue championed by Republicans. 'As a parent of a daughter, I think it's legitimate that parents are worried about the safety of their daughters, and I think it's legitimate for us to be worried also about fair competition,' Gallego said in an interview published Thursday with The Dispatch, a right-leaning digital magazine. 'And I think the parents of these trans children also are worried legitimately about the health and wellness of their kids.' 'There are some sports that some of these trans children should not be playing,' he continued, adding that it should be up to local entities such as school boards or athletic associations to establish eligibility requirements for trans athletes and determine sports where 'there should be a separation' based on sex at birth. But the overarching message to transgender youth, he said, should be rooted in compassion. 'Hey, listen, we love you. We want you to be part of our community, but this is just the one place you can't play, and let's find other activities for you to be involved,' Gallego said. The Arizona lawmaker, first elected to the House in 2014 before winning a competitive Senate seat last year, previously backed legislation in Congress supporting transgender rights. He is a four-time co-sponsor of the Equality Act, legislation to make sexual orientation and gender identity federally protected classes, and served as a vice chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, which works to advance LGBTQ rights in the House. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ advocacy group that endorsed Gallego's Senate bid, did not immediately return a request for comment on his remarks about trans athletes. More than half the nation, including Arizona, has adopted laws that either outright ban or restrict transgender students from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity. Federal court rulings are blocking the enforcement of laws passed in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah, West Virginia and New Hampshire. Gallego is the latest of a handful of Democrats to voice opposition to allowing transgender girls' to participate in girls' sports. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) — who, like Gallego, is a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination — said he believes trans athletes competing against and alongside cisgender girls is ' deeply unfair, ' and he would be 'open' to having a conversation about limiting their participation in California. Responding to a policy announced this week by the California Interscholastic Foundation (CIF) allowing more girls to compete in state track-and-field championship events where a transgender girl also qualified, a spokesperson for Newsom said the governor 'is encouraged by this thoughtful approach.' 'CIF's proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing,' the spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, said. At least four other Democrats in Congress have said they oppose transgender student-athletes participating in girls' and women's sports. Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi (N.Y.) and Seth Moulton (Mass.) spoke out against the party's broad support for trans athletes in the immediate aftermath of the November elections, which saw Republicans retake control of both chambers and the White House. GOP candidates, including President Trump, zeroed in on transgender rights while on the campaign trail. In January, two Texas members, Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, were the only Democrats to vote with Republicans to advance legislation to ban transgender girls from competing in girls' school sports nationwide. 'I believe that there should be rules to keep our sports fair and that boys should not play in girls sports,' Gonzales said following his vote. A spokesperson for Cuellar told The Hill in January that the Texas lawmaker, who voted against the same bill in 2023, changed his vote 'based on the concerns and feedback he received from constituents in his district.' In a New York Times/Ipsos poll published in February, 79 percent of surveyed Americans said trans athletes should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. A Pew Research Center survey released the same month found Americans have grown more supportive of policies restricting transgender rights, including ones that require athletes to compete on sports teams that match their birth sex. An AP-NORC poll released this month found that roughly half of U.S. adults approve of Trump's handling of transgender issues, including 19 percent of Democrats. The president has targeted trans rights through sweeping policy changes and several executive orders, including one aimed at banning transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Gallego says concerns about trans athletes are ‘legitimate'
Sen. Ruben Gallego called parental concerns about trans athletes competing in some sports 'legitimate,' a rare deviation within the Democratic Party on an issue that has become a flash point for Republican attacks. 'As a parent of a daughter, I think it's legitimate that parents are worried about the safety of their daughters, and I think it's legitimate for us to be worried also about fair competition. And I think the parents of these trans children also are worried legitimately about the health and wellness of their kids,' Gallego said in an interview with The Dispatch published on Thursday. The Arizona Democrat went on to say that the decision on whether and how to impose biological separations in 'some' school sports should ultimately be left to 'local institutions,' a rare push to send the decision back to the states rather than codifying federal protections under the umbrellas of gender identity and sexual orientation, which Democrats in Congress have pushed for in recent years. Still, Gallego said transgender children must be treated with a spirit of openness — just not in all athletics: 'Hey, listen, we love you. We want you to be part of our community, but this is just the one place you can't play, and let's find other activities for you to be involved,' he said. Gallego isn't the first Democrat to suggest that trans athletes shouldn't be playing in sports. California Gov. Gavin Newsom — who had once been such a staunch LGBTQ+ ally that he granted marriage licenses to gay couples as San Francisco mayor in defiance of state law — made waves in March after breaking with his party on the issue, saying allowing trans women to compete in women's sports was 'deeply unfair.' The early signs of a fissure among Democrats on the issue come amid a broader reckoning within the party over what direction to take under the new Trump administration. Republicans have used Democratic support for issues such as trans athletes' participation in women's sports to paint the opposing party as rabid leftists. Some Democrats have reiterated their support for trans people's inclusion in sports and broader American life, but a few prominent party members have suggested that the Democrats' approach thus far had failed to win them Americans' confidence. After President Donald Trump's victory in November, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) implied that part of the Democrats' failure stemmed from their overwhelming concern to 'not offend anyone.' 'Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face,' Moulton told The New York Times on the heels of Kamala Harris' defeat. '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.'
Politico
2 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Gallego says concerns about trans athletes are ‘legitimate'
Sen. Ruben Gallego called parental concerns about trans athletes competing in some sports 'legitimate,' a rare deviation within the Democratic Party on an issue that has become a flash point for Republican attacks. 'As a parent of a daughter, I think it's legitimate that parents are worried about the safety of their daughters, and I think it's legitimate for us to be worried also about fair competition. And I think the parents of these trans children also are worried legitimately about the health and wellness of their kids,' Gallego said in an interview with The Dispatch published on Thursday. The Arizona Democrat went on to say that the decision on whether and how to impose biological separations in 'some' school sports should ultimately be left to 'local institutions,' a rare push to send the decision back to the states rather than codifying federal protections under the umbrellas of gender identity and sexual orientation, which Democrats in Congress have pushed for in recent years. Still, Gallego said transgender children must be treated with a spirit of openness — just not in all athletics: 'Hey, listen, we love you. We want you to be part of our community, but this is just the one place you can't play, and let's find other activities for you to be involved,' he said. Gallego isn't the first Democrat to suggest that trans athletes shouldn't be playing in sports. California Gov. Gavin Newsom — who had once been such a staunch LGBTQ+ ally that he granted marriage licenses to gay couples as San Francisco mayor in defiance of state law — made waves in March after breaking with his party on the issue, saying allowing trans women to compete in women's sports was 'deeply unfair.' The early signs of a fissure among Democrats on the issue come amid a broader reckoning within the party over what direction to take under the new Trump administration. Republicans have used Democratic support for issues such as trans athletes' participation in women's sports to paint the opposing party as rabid leftists. Some Democrats have reiterated their support for trans people's inclusion in sports and broader American life, but a few prominent party members have suggested that the Democrats' approach thus far had failed to win them Americans' confidence. After President Donald Trump's victory in November, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) implied that part of the Democrats' failure stemmed from their overwhelming concern to 'not offend anyone.' 'Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face,' Moulton told The New York Times on the heels of Kamala Harris' defeat. '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.'
