Opinion: Democrats aren’t doing enough to fight off GOP’s trans hate

Donald Trump is using the final days of the campaign to exploit fears about yet another group of people.
The Republican presidential nominee’s campaign has spent at least $17 million on ads about Vice President Kamala Harris for a 2019 stance on providing trans-affirming health care to people in prison. The issue has not been part of her 2024 campaign, although she was questioned about it in a recent Fox News interview. These anti-trans ads have aired more than 30,000 times.
“Kamala is for they/them,” one ad reads. “Trump is for you.”
The Republicans are no strangers to using a marginalized group of people to stoke fear. We’ve seen how they talk about immigrants in dehumanizing ways. The trans panic talking points are just more hate.
The GOP will continue spreading hatred of transgender people on the road to Election Day. The left can’t keep pretending the issue doesn’t exist. It’s a good opportunity for Democrats to win voters, like the 38% who told Gallup that transgender rights are “extremely important” or “very important” when making their decision in this election. It might win over a few voters, but that’s what it will take to win this election.
I asked Imara Jones, CEO of the news site TransLash, whether she thought these attacks resonated with voters. The award-winning media outlet shares stories about transgender and gender-nonconforming people. Jones explained that the anti-trans ads could be used to win over suburban white women who were initially fans of Republican former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
“They understand this as a way to eke out close elections, right?” Jones told me. “It’s designed to get one or two votes per precinct in key states.”
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In an election this close, less than a handful of votes could make a difference. Jones noted that while Democrats have not found the right messaging for trans issues, not having an answer at all creates a vulnerability that the Republicans can exploit.
“Campaigns don’t normally let attacks go unanswered,” she said. “And so far, there hasn’t been one.”
Democrats have – briefly – talked about transgender issues on the campaign trail. When asked about her 2019 stance on trans health care by Fox News’ Bret Baier, Harris said she would follow the law and called the issue “really quite remote.”
Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, recently delivered a stronger stance on the issue.
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“The closing arguments for Donald Trump is to demonize a group of people for being who they are,” Walz said on the podcast “We Can Do Hard Things” last week. “We’re out there trying to make the case that access to health care, and a clean environment and manufacturing jobs, and keeping your local hospital open ‒ those are things that people are really concerned about.”
Truth be told, that’s the message Democrats should run with. It is the simplest message that appeases most people while still taking a stand for someone’s humanity.
Anti-trans ads are only grabbing a marginal number of voters, but this is a presidential race that will be decided on razor-thin margins. Some campaigns have already had to respond to anti-trans attack ads from Republicans.
Rep. Colin Allred, a Texas Democrat running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, responded to this line of attack by releasing an ad claiming, “I don’t want boys playing girls sports.” It’s unclear whether this means he supports trans girls playing on girls’ sports teams.
It makes sense that Democrats have some anxiety about this issue. According to Gallup, 69% of Americans believe trans athletes should only be allowed to play on teams that correspond with the gender they were assigned at birth. Democrats always run the risk of isolating more moderate members of the party if they take a clear stance against these transphobic attacks.
We’re also incredibly close to the election, and Harris’ team probably thinks there are other communities worth targeting with such little time left.
Even so, the Democratic Party could win over reluctant voters who don’t see themselves or the ones they love protected by either party. Even just a point on its campaign platform page would be a step in the right direction. More important, it would show Republicans that they can’t just attack a group of people without repercussions.
Republicans are using fear and bigotry to drive voters to the polls. Democrats may not win on the issue, but an official stance is important.
Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno