Kerby Anderson
Pundits and political consultants warn that the Democratic party needs to reevaluate some of its policy positions. The editors at The New York Times argue “that the party moved too far left on social issues after Barack Obama left office in 2017.” They explain that the party not only lost the presidency, but also the Senate, the House of Representatives, and most governor’s races.
Will Democratic candidates moderate their position on a topic like transgenderism? In a recent commentary, Jack Butler says that is unlikely, and points to the harsh reaction from the left to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s statement that allowing men to compete against women in sports is “deeply unfair.”
Jack Butler doubts moderation will happen on the transgender issue due to three powerful forces: money, science, and religion. First, there is a“tremendous institutional and financial network in place to ensure Democrats, both aspiring and elected, yield to the utmost-left-possible iteration of transgender ideology.” To understand this, just follow the money.
Second, leftist science is a different form of science. You have probably seen yard signs that say: “Women’s Rights are Human Rights” and “Science is Real.” What that often means is to “trust the science” when it conforms to your view of reality and reject it when it doesn’t.
Third is religion. All it takes is a few religious leaders to call for transgender acceptance to reinforce transgender ideology. Jack Butler calls this a classic postmodern trick: if you can find religious differences of opinion, then there is no genuine truth.
Any moderation on the issue of transgenderism will expose weaknesses and logical flaws. That is why it is unlikely to see many Democratic candidates changing their position.