Democratic Maine Rep. Jared Golden is striking a new tone on transgender issues after repeatedly voting against legislation seeking to protect women’s sports and female-only spaces.
Golden, a perennially vulnerable Democratic incumbent, appears to be walking back his support for biological males’ unrestricted access to girls and women’s sports that come at the expense of fair play and safety of female athletes. Golden’s recent statements suggesting his moderation on transgender issues comes after the Democratic lawmaker previously toed the party line on left-wing gender ideology despite being out of step with a majority of Americans.
“In public schools in Maine, biological boys shouldn’t compete in sports against biological girls,” Golden told WGME-TV in Portland, Maine, on Feb. 21. The Maine lawmaker voted against legislation designed to bar biological males from girls and women’s sports in January.
Golden joined 205 other House Democrats in voting against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, legislation that would interpret Title IX to prohibit biological males from competing in girls and women’s sports at scholastic events, on Jan. 14. He also voted “no” on the same bill during the 118th Congress in April 2023.
The Maine lawmaker also cosponsored and voted for the Equality Act in 2021, which would have given biological males access to female-only spaces, including locker rooms, dressing rooms and shelters for women escaping domestic violence.
Despite Golden’s past support for left-wing gender ideology, the Maine lawmakers’ voting history appears to be out of step with a majority of Americans’ beliefs on transgender issues.
Approximately 79% of Americans oppose biological males competing in women’s sports, according to a New York Times-Ipsos survey conducted between Jan. 2 and Jan. 10.
Nearly 70% of Democrats or participants who “lean Democrat” told the Times they opposed transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
Golden did not issue a statement explaining his vote against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in January, and appears to not have outlined his views about whether biological males should be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports until he published a blog post Tuesday.
“For most people, the fact that men and women are different is about as noncontroversial as you can get,” Golden wrote. “The growing recognition and acceptance of transgender students complicates this arrangement. But that doesn’t mean we can simply ignore biology.”
“I believe the state got it wrong by overturning a half-century of Title IX precedent and requiring school districts to open girls sports programs to natal males at the early stages of transition and those who may not be undergoing medical transition at all,” Golden continued. “It would also be wrong to exclude trans kids from sports entirely. But the current system of letting kids change teams based simply on gender self-identification sets the bar too low to justify infringing on girls’ Title IX rights.”
The Daily Caller News Foundation asked Golden’s office whether the Maine Democrat regretted opposing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act given his observation that the Biden administration went too far in rewriting Title IX to include gender identity and concerns about transgender athletes’ unlimited access to girls and women’s sports.
The Maine lawmaker’s office did not directly answer the question, but implied that Golden opposed a provision of the bill that would withhold federal funding to schools that allow biological males to compete in girls and women’s sports.
“If you read the Congressman’s Substack, then you know that he continues to believe ‘It’s wrong for the president to use trans kids as a pretext to hold funding that benefits every student in Maine hostage,’” a spokesperson for Golden told the DCNF. “The Congressman believes that if the feds have a problem with policy decisions made by the state Legislature or local school districts, there are plenty of ways for them to focus their response without jeopardizing funding for every student in Maine.”
“Every child has a right to a quality education and it’s wrong to punish every Maine school over a policy disagreement that applies to a small fraction of students,” Golden also told WGME-TV on Feb. 21.
Golden’s comments come after Trump clashed with Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills over the state government’s decision to defy the president’s executive order protecting girls and women’s sports. The executive order imposes a categorical ban on biological males’ participation in girls and women’s sports and withholds federal funding from schools that refuse to comply.
The Department of Education subsequently announced the agency was opening a Title IX investigation into the state’s education department and one school district for continuing to adhere to state law allowing transgender athletes unrestricted access to girls and women’s sports.
Golden is not the only House Democrat whose recent comments suggest a pivot to the center on transgender issues despite a pattern of voting against bills designed to protect women’s sports and sponsoring legislation putting female-only spaces at risk. Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton spoke out about his concerns about transgender athletes in women’s sports after the Nov. 5 election only to close ranks with House Democrats and vote against the women’s sports bill. Moulton also sponsored the unsuccessful Equality Act.
Republican strategists are seeking to hold Golden and other congressional Democrats accountable for their past votes in support of biological male athletes’ participation in women’s sports despite new rhetoric suggesting moderation on transgender issues
“Plain and simple: Jared Golden has voted repeatedly with the far left to force their radical transgender agenda on our children, and now he’s desperately trying to cover his tracks to score political points,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole told the DCNF.
Golden is one of 13 House Democrats representing districts President Donald Trump won in November. The president beat former Vice President Kamala Harris by roughly nine points in Golden’s district while he bested his Republican challenger by less than a percentage point. The president also won Golden’s district in 2016 and 2020.
The Senate is slated to take up legislation protecting girls and women’s sports, sponsored by Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, on Monday. All 53 Senate Republicans, including Susan Collins of Maine, are expected to support the bill.
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