Trans journalist Erin Reed has published a list of Democratic midterm candidates with anti-trans records, and the question she is forcing is one the party would rather not answer: if trans voters keep rewarding Democrats who harm them, what signal does that send? The calculation is real, the stakes are high, and there is no clean answer.

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[–] 29 points 1 month ago (6 children)

Voting shouldn’t be a sacrifice of that magnitude.

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  • [–] 32 points 1 month ago (4 children)

    For a lot of single-issue voters, this kind of calculation is theoretical. For trans people right now, it is not. An anti-trans Democrat in office is a harm. A Republican who is openly, aggressively, legislatively hostile to trans existence is a different order of harm. Both things are true, and genuinely hard to reconcile.

    Yeah, that's an awful choice. I can't think of a better option than the article presents — name the candidates and their shortcomings/wrongs.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    @pageflight @criscodisco maybe the Democrat can still be reasoned with?

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  • [–] 10 points 1 month ago

    My thing is this. Trans rights isn't really a major public issue in this election season. Not saying that is good or bad, just that it is. I would say anyone being anti-trans right now isn't doing it as a some sort of spineless electoral strategy. It simply isn't an issue on the majority of voters minds right now, which makes me really side-eye someone taking such a hard stand when it isn't even beneficial from their own perspective. It makes me think there is some hate in their heart for trans people. But even if not, they are willing to throw trans people under the bus for very little benefit to their own campaign. I wonder what little it would take to corrupt them after they get into office.

    I can't look at all of that, then use my own privilege to say "Hey trans person. This candidate doesn't just disagree with you, they are anti-you, so I know that sucks and all but can you go ahead and vote for the greater good? We can convince them later." That's just not my call to make.

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