California Gov. Gavin Newsom does not like being on Donald Trump's side on any issue.
But when it comes to transgender girls and women in sports, particularly at the school level, the Democrat said he largely agrees with the Republican president. Newsom, one of his party's leading White House prospects, believes it's "deeply unfair" for people who are assigned male at birth to compete against girls.
"I don't want to be on that side of it, but I'm being honest — I'd be lying to you if I said differently," Newsom told The Associated Press as he was campaigning recently in South Carolina. "I haven't been able to figure out how to make it fair from my perspective."
Newsom is not alone.
While most Democratic officials remain steadfast supporters of the transgender community, an increasing number in red and blue states are distancing themselves from their party's unflinching support for the transgender community's policy priorities, such as allowing athletes to compete on teams that match their gender identity. The shift follows years of conservative attacks against Democrats on the divisive issue, which affects a relatively small number of transgender people and their families, but has emerged as one of Republicans' most potent political weapons in the Trump era.
I think this is the correct framing. Unfortunately the reality is that the trans sports issue is not a popular stance for the left. I don't believe in compromising our ethics for popularity but we can do the next best thing which is reframe the debate.
I think the new debate should be: explain why you think big government should be deciding how sports leagues decide eligibility? This is especially potent since it makes the right look like hypocrites for screeching about pointless regulations for years and then immediately endorsing some of the most unnecessary and hateful intrusions into our lives the second they gain power.