Former President Trump and fellow Republicans are framing Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as extreme leftists poised to revolutionize American culture and dismantle conservative principles, especially regarding transgender rights.
This tactic is designed to energize conservative voters and attract moderates but could backfire, with LGBTQ+ communities and their allies mobilizing in response to what they perceive as threats and misinformation.
Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance have targeted Harris’s association with progressive policies and Walz’s staunch support for LGBTQ+ rights. Trump labeled the Democratic ticket as “communist” on “Fox & Friends,” criticizing Walz for his involvement in Minnesota’s new laws protecting transgender health care and banning conversion therapy.
LGBTQ+ Voters Mobilize as Trump Targets Transgender Rights in Campaign Against Harris and Walz
Trump also derided a 2023 Minnesota law requiring free menstrual products in public school restrooms for all students, regardless of gender, mocking it with the nickname “Tampon Tim.”
In their campaign platforms, Trump and Vance promise to implement measures that directly challenge transgender rights, such as enacting a federal law recognizing only two genders, banning transgender student-athletes from competing in line with their gender identity, prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors, and reinstating a ban on transgender military service.
Trump has proposed criminalizing gender-affirming surgeries for minors, despite inaccuracies in his claims about current access to such care. Gabriele Magni, a political science professor, warns that this approach might inadvertently boost voter turnout among LGBTQ+ individuals and their supporters, as surveys show high motivation to vote against candidates who threaten their rights.
According to GLAAD, 94% of LGBTQ+ voters are eager to vote in the upcoming election, with many opposed to candidates who restrict transgender rights. FOLX Health reports that 53% of transgender respondents are hopeful about Harris’s potential victory.
Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen from Advocates for Trans Equality notes that LGBTQ+ individuals and their families are highly motivated to vote, driven by a perceived need to protect their rights. Despite being a small demographic, transgender Americans are increasingly politically engaged, demonstrated by substantial fundraising efforts and representation at the Democratic National Convention.
Kierra Johnson of the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund asserts that while both parties have addressed LGBTQ+ issues this year, Trump’s rhetoric seeks to instill fear. She believes that maintaining focus on positive goals will lead voters to reject the fear-driven messages from the Trump campaign.
