Democratic lawmakers in Washington, D.C., pushed back against the GOP-led Women and Girls in Sports Protection Act last week with baseless arguments that the law Empowering sexual predators Conducting genital examinations of young girls.
This argument was not rooted in any language within the bill Republicans insisted That no genital examination would be necessary at all, and proof of birth sex could simply be determined through a birth certificate.
However, several prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have used the sexual predator argument in statements and during testimony in the House.
This tactic alienated some loyal party voters, who canceled their registration as Democrats in response.
Prominent law professor Gary Francione has been a lifelong Democrat dating back to the 1960s. In November, he voted for Kamala Harris and Rep. Chrissy Holahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat, who was one of 206 Democrats who voted against the bill last Tuesday.
But Francione, an advocate for LGBTQ rights, abortion rights, and even an animal rights abolitionist and vegan, felt so insulted by Democratic representatives who tried to link the bill to enabling child predators that he canceled his registration as a Democrat after last Tuesday's session.
“It made me very upset because it screamed lack of integrity and lack of honesty,” Francione told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “This is how you fight battles? By trying to insult other people who oppose you and disagree with you and insinuate that they are pedophiles or pedophiles? It seems to me that you have lost the game… I don't know how they lose the game?” 'We will ever come back from this.'
Francione has a lifelong network of other Democrats in law and other industries, many of whom he says share his beliefs and will also deregister with the party.
“I can confidently say of the people I know who are Democrats that I've talked to, the vast majority of them are very dissatisfied with all of these things and feel like the party has lost its way,” Francione said. “I know a couple who said they were going to (unenroll).”
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Francione initially announced his departure from the party in a viral post on X over the weekend. Many of his followers responded by the thousands, insisting they would follow his lead in deregistering from the party in response to congressional representatives' attempt to link the bill to enabling sexual predators.
“That's what I did. That's when I drew the line and switched the recording,” one user replied.
Another wrote: “I know the feeling. They're leading you on. Welcome to the club.”
Francione believes the premise of allowing transgender athletes to compete against females is “discriminatory” against girls and women, going so far as to call Democrats' argument against the bill “crazy” and “irresponsible.”
“I thought this was unfair to a large number of decent people who care about fairness and safety in women's sports,” he said. “These young girls, they train hard, they work hard, and then the guys take things away from them!”
Many Democratic representatives in Congress chose to refer to the Protecting Women and Girls in Sports Act as the “GOP Child Predator Empowerment Act.” These individuals include Jeffries, Ocasio-Cortez, and Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Vt.; Rep. Susan Bonamik, Democrat of Oregon; Rep. Maxwell Frost, Democrat of Florida; Representative Whip Clark, Democratic Party; And many of the other 206 Democrats who voted against the bill.
Ocasio-Cortez's impeachment The fact that there is no language in the bill suggests that any child would be subject to genital examination during her argument.
“The majority now says that nowhere in this bill does it say it opens the door to genital exams. Well, that's the thing, there's no enforcement mechanism in this bill. And when there's no enforcement mechanism, you open the door to every enforcement,” he said. . Automatic!” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Ocasio-Cortez later declared, “Trans girls are girls!”
But most Democrats who opposed the bill strongly opposed it on the unproven premise that it would enable sexual predators without even defending the right of transgender athletes to compete in women's sports, as enabling transgender inclusion has become a widely unpopular position in the election. November.
Representative Seth Moulton, Democrat of Massachusetts, was one of those who took this position. Moulton previously said he believed Democrats pushing for transgender inclusion was an issue that cost them in November, and he repeatedly defended his position opposing transgender inclusion despite backlash from those in his own party and state in the weeks following President Donald Trump and the GOP's victory. . Majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
How transgenderism in sports changed the 2024 election and ignited a national counterculture
But Moulton still voted against the bill on Tuesday, saying he did not want children to be subjected to “the gross violations of personal privacy permitted by this law.”
Only two Democrats joined the Republican majority in voting for the bill, Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas. Their decision to break with the rest of the party and vote to protect women and girls in sport reflects a widespread and growing position of many voters in their party and independents, according to recent data.
Modern New York Times/Ipsos Poll It found that the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, do not believe transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women's sports. Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democratic or leaned Democratic, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Hakeem Jeffries with a mutant flag background (Getty Images)
Shortly after the November election, A.J National exit poll The Concerned Women for America (CWA) Legislative Action Committee found that 70% of moderate voters saw the issue of “Donald Trump's opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls' and women's sports, and transgender boys and men's use of girls and women.” Bathrooms” because it is important to them.
6% said it was the most important issue of all, while 44% said it was “very important.”
Francione is one of many longtime Democratic voters who believe lawmakers in his party have failed to carry out the will of their constituents on the issue.
“The progressives have failed!” He added. “Progressives have created an oppressive Olympics…and it's not working!”
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