It doesn’t feel like Congressman Seth Moulton is about to apologize anytime soon.
The Massachusetts Democrat — facing heat for his post-election comments on boys and transgender athletes having no place in girls’ sports — doubled down on his remarks on Monday.
“We as Democrats are more concerned about offending people and just getting all our words right than actually having legitimate, serious debates about issues that matter,” Moulton said on GBH.
“I’m not going to refuse to have this debate, and I’m not going to apologize for bringing up the issue,” he later added. “This is the problem with Democrats: We’re more concerned about offending people than actually talking about issues, and that’s why a majority of Americans just think we’re out of touch.”
The local congressman has come under fire over the past several days after he blamed his party for the Republican red wave and President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.
Moulton in his criticized remarks told the New York Times that Democrats were “out of touch with the American people,” especially on transgender issues.
“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 told the New York Times following last week’s election.
Moulton on the radio on Monday cited an election exit poll that he says backs up his point.
“The number one issue for swing voters who chose Trump was actually the feeling that Kamala (Harris) was more concerned about trans issues than the middle class,” Moulton said.
“So we ignore this at our peril,” he added. “And if we can’t come up with a position that the majority of Americans can buy into and agree with — a reasonable, rational position — then guess who’s going to win this debate? It’s going to be the Republicans with their radical agenda, that absolutely will take away rights from minorities all across the country.”
The Salem mayor and School Committee denounced Moulton for his comments last week.
The chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, who said the congressman’s comments don’t reflect the state party’s values, won’t return his call, Moulton said Sunday.
Boston State Rep. John Moran also blasted him.
“No, Seth Moulton, the only thing we here in Massachusetts shouldn’t be afraid to say is that you should find another job if you want to use an election loss as an opportunity to pick on our most vulnerable,” Moran said in a post Friday. “Weak!”
The denunciations amount to Bay State politicos trying to “cancel” him, Moulton told GBH.
“I understand that some people are offended by this, like I said, but we have to be willing to have these debates,” Moulton said. “And honestly, we are not going to win this issue for trans people or any other minority if we’re not even allowed to talk about it.”
“We’re not listening,” he later added. “We’re just shutting down debate.”
In the lead up to the election, Trump’s campaign ran an avalanche of anti-trans ads, especially during NFL games.
Harris did not combat this, and it hurt her in the end, Moulton said.
“She just tried to ignore it,” the congressman added. “She just tied to say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to offend anyone so I’m not going to talk about this issue.’ And that’s why it killed her. The exit polls say it was literally the number one issue for why swing voters voted for Trump.”
Moulton claimed that the vast majority of Americans agree with him on this issue, and that he’s heard overwhelmingly from these people since his comments last week.
“A lot of them say, ‘I agree with you, but I haven’t been able to say anything because I just get canceled by the woke mob,’ ” Moulton added.
A group of former staffers and interns over the weekend circulated a letter expressing their concerns about Moulton’s recent statements, demanding an apology.
The staffers 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.”
The former staffers and interns behind the letter wrote they believe 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.
Originally Published: