Sex and Republicans

The GOP’s Obsession with Transgender People: A Distraction from Real Problems

The world is facing serious, existential challenges. Donald Trump continues his assault on democracy, the climate crisis threatens life as we know it, geopolitical tensions are escalating—China may soon invade Taiwan—and millions of people around the world are struggling just to survive.

And yet, what do Republicans fixate on? Transgender people.

At a recent town council meeting in Payson, the local Hoopleheads found a way to turn every issue into a rant about transgender people. The biggest concern? The fairness of sports if a transgender athlete is involved. Really? With everything going on in the world, this is the hill they want to die on?

Talk to any right-wing Trump supporter, and before long, the conversation will turn to the supposed “threat” of transgender rights. It’s almost a reflex at this point.

The Republican obsession with sex and gender has always been baffling. Why are their minds constantly focused on what people do in their personal lives? Why, in the face of global crises, do they zero in on who uses which bathroom or who plays on which sports team?

The answer is simple: It’s a distraction. By inflaming culture wars, they avoid addressing the real problems facing Americans—problems they have no real solutions for. The economy, healthcare, infrastructure, climate change—these require serious policy discussions. But scapegoating a tiny fraction of the population? That’s easy. It riles up their base, keeps the donations flowing, and distracts from the fact that they have nothing of substance to offer.