Sen. Gallego called parents' concerns about transgender athletes "legitimate"
The Arizona lawmaker joined the list of Democrats who have expressed doubts about transgender athletes participating in women's sports.
Senator Gallego on Capitol Hill/ Jemal Countess.
Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) spoke out about the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports. Speaking to The Dispatch, the Democratic senator distanced himself from the majority views in his party, calling parents' concerns about the issue "legitimate."
Gallego, who was elected in November 2024 after defeating Kari Lake, made these statements just hours after the Department of Justice launched an investigation against California.
Specifically, the DOJ is seeking to determine whether the Golden State is violating Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.
"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," the Arizona Democrat expressed in the aforementioned interview.
He went on to say that the decision on whether to define such separations in sports should be left to "local institutions."
In turn, he remarked on the need not to demonize transgender athletes and instead seek to integrate them into other sectors. "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 in," he added.
Newsom, Suozzi and more: the other Democrats who showed doubts about transgender athletes in women's sports
In the first episode of his podcast, Gavin Newsom was asked by Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA. "Right now you should come out and be like, 'You know what, the young man who's about to win the state championship in a long jump in female sports,' that shouldn't happen. You as the governor should step out and say no," Kirk told him.
Next, the California governor distanced himself from his party on this issue and responded as follows: "I think it's a matter of fairness; I completely agree with you on that. It's a fairness issue. It's deeply unfair."
Another case is that of Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) of New York, who had this to say after the 2024 presidential election: "Democrats have to stop pandering to the far left. I don't want to discriminate against anyone, but I don't think biological boys should play in girls' sports. Democrats aren't saying that, and they should."
He was joined by his colleague Seth Moulton (D-MS), who said the Democratic Party spends too much time trying "not to offend anyone," rather than focusing on voters' priorities.
"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," he said in dialogue with The New York Times.
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