Democrats continued blasting Congressman Seth Moulton over the weekend for sticking to his opinion that boys and transgender athletes haven’t any place in women’ sports activities and voicing his perception that pronouns in e-mail signatures are “kind of weird.”
As criticism in opposition to the previous U.S. Marine and presidential candidate saved raining down, a gaggle of former staffers and interns on Saturday circulated a letter expressing their considerations about Moulton’s latest statements, demanding an apology.
On Sunday, Moulton appeared on MSNBC the place he stated social gathering leaders wouldn’t even return his calls, proving his level that Democrats want to have the ability to discuss divisive points.
The staffers demanding an apology wrote, “As Democrats, we believe in constructive, compassionate dialogue, and we know you are committed to representing all your constituents fairly. We ask that you reconsider your approach to discussing these issues and offer an apology to the LGBTQ+ community, especially as members of this community have proudly served under your leadership.”
“Our party’s strength lies in its commitment to progress and inclusivity for everyone,” the letter ends.
The Massachusetts Democrat, in his criticized remarks, blamed his social gathering for the Republican crimson wave and President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, saying that Dems had been “out of touch with the American people,” particularly on transgender points.
“I have two little girls. I don’t want them getting run over on the playing field by a male or formerly male athlete. But as a Democrat, I’m supposed to be afraid to say that,” Moulton reportedly informed a New York Occasions reporter within the wake of Tuesday’s election.
In an interview with GBH’s Morning Version on Friday, Moulton slammed his colleagues over pronouns in e-mail signatures.
“I mean, here we are accusing Republicans of being weird, and we’re the ones who are suddenly requiring people to put pronouns in their email signatures,” the congressman stated. “I mean, that’s kind of weird, to be honest. You know, we went through the whole gay rights movement. We went through the whole Civil Rights Movement. We never had to say, you know, ‘Seth Moulton: Straight’ or ‘Seth Moulton: White.’ And all of a sudden, we have to change all our values to meet the needs or demands of one very small minority group.”
The previous staffers and interns alleged Moulton’s remark diminishes “the significance of a simple but powerful means of affirming identity.”
“Dismissing these efforts as ‘demands of a small minority group’ risks alienating vulnerable members of our society, whom we should be supporting in their efforts to be heard and respected,” the group wrote.
Jeremy Comeau, co-chairman of the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, an advocacy group for the LGBTQIA+ neighborhood, and a Cape and Islands consultant on the Democratic State Committee, posted the letter Saturday afternoon on X.
Moulton, throughout a Sunday look on MSNBC, stated that the response to his feedback demonstrates exactly what he was attempting level out – that it’s merely verboten for Democrats to even discuss these types of points.
“The point is, that the backlash that I’ve received proves my point that we can’t even have these discussions as a party,” he stated. “The Chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party wouldn’t even return my phone call.”
MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan stated in a press release that Moulton’s feedback don’t mirror the state social gathering’s values.
“The Massachusetts Democratic Party is proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community, especially our transgender friends, neighbors, and loved ones across the Commonwealth. These comments do not represent the broad view of our Party.”
Moulton’s marketing campaign supervisor Matt Chilliak resigned following his remarks, the Globe reported on Friday. The Herald reached out to Moulton’s workplace for remark about Chilliak, and a spokesperson responded, “We’re not commenting on personnel matters (office policy).”
Moulton doubled down on his remarks Friday night.
“I stand firmly in my belief for the need for competitive women’s sports to put limits on the participation of those with the unfair physical advantages that come with being born male,” Moulton stated in a press release. “I am also a strong supporter of the civil rights of all Americans, including transgender rights.”
“Yet there are many who, shouting from the extreme left corners of social media, believe I have failed the unspoken Democratic Party purity test,” the congressman added. “We did not lose the 2024 election because of any trans person or issue. We lost, in part, because we shame and belittle too many opinions held by too many voters and that needs to stop.”
The previous staffers and interns behind the letter wrote they imagine Moulton’s “remarks about protecting fairness in youth sports by opposing trans athletes imply that inclusion comes at the cost of others’ safety and success.”
“The way these concerns were presented risks reinforcing a harmful narrative about trans youth, who already face disproportionate discrimination and challenges,” they wrote.
