In the days following an election that left so many Americans — especially marginalized groups — feeling vulnerable and uncertain, people across the country looked to their elected leaders for support and reassurance. Unfortunately, some have chosen to single out one of the most vulnerable groups: trans kids. Rather than addressing the real challenges we face, trans youth have been dragged into the blinding spotlight of a cruel culture war, one largely created and stoked by the far right. These kinds of statements are not only misguided but also harmful, suggesting — whether intentionally or not — that trans kids are somehow responsible for political disillusionment and other broader societal issues. This choice isn’t brave; it’s cruel.
No one asked for thoughts on trans kids in sports in the wake of an election post-mortem. Instead, the question was why Democrats lost ground and why Trump won supporters. Yet, in a misguided response, the conversation shifted to hypothetical scenarios about young athletes. Then, to make matters worse, divisive complaints were raised about the use of pronouns in email signatures — again, something no one was asking about.
Democrats are a party that supports all Americans. We believe in an America where everyone has a fair shot at the American Dream. We step up to support families, expand affordable housing, and ensure health care access without infringing on private decisions. Such comments stand in stark contrast to these values. Instead of focusing on real, tangible issues that affect Americans daily, some leaders are using vulnerable trans kids as a political wedge, fueling divisive rhetoric and distracting from the real challenges Americans face.
I agree that Democrats need to refocus our messaging. However, blaming trans youth is not only factually incorrect but also deeply irresponsible. These young people are already among the most at-risk in our society, facing daily discrimination and bullying. In reality, the issue of trans athletes in high school sports is virtually nonexistent. Though exact numbers are difficult to quantify, researcher and medical physicist Joanna Harper estimates the number of transgender athletes in public school sports nationwide likely does not exceed 100. This is not a crisis affecting the average American’s life. By raising it, leaders feed into a distorted narrative rather than addressing real issues.
On the Salem City Council, we see those real issues every day because they are often the result of federal inaction that impacts communities like Salem the hardest. Take, for example, the crisis of homelessness — a direct result of federal neglect. The Faircloth Amendment, a decades-old policy that restricts the construction of new public housing units, has prevented communities like ours from creating desperately needed affordable housing. Meanwhile, skyrocketing rents and a lack of affordable homes mean that more people in Salem are struggling to find stable, affordable housing. We need the support of our elected leaders in D.C. to fix problems like this, but where is the action on homelessness? During a tense debate about the encampments on the South River, tone-deaf comments about the inconvenience of seeing the encampments while enjoying a beer at a local brewery were unhelpful. If national leaders want to understand why many Americans thumbed their noses at the political establishment on Nov. 5, they should start reaching out to local leaders and ask what they can do to help. Instead, vulnerable trans kids were thrown under the bus to score political points on an issue that doesn’t affect constituents and has no basis in fact. It was a choice to mislead rather than serve.
The Salem leaders I work with — on the City Council, the School Committee, in City Hall, on Beacon Hill, and in the DA’s office — are committed to supporting every resident, especially those who face the greatest obstacles. This commitment means rejecting rhetoric that divides or targets vulnerable groups and instead focusing on the real challenges that affect our constituents’ lives. By attacking a marginalized group of youth, national leaders reveal priorities that are misaligned with the community’s values and with those who serve it daily.
Leaders in Salem will continue to fight for the dignity, safety, and rights of every resident. We won’t give in to fear-mongering or finger-pointing. If national leaders want to understand why voters are losing faith, they should stop scapegoating and start listening to the needs of the people they serve. Those needs don’t include email signatures or hypothetical sporting injuries.
Ty Hapworth is the president of the Salem City Council.