Overview

• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called it a 'mistake' for Democrats to scale back support for transgender rights, emphasizing the importance of defending LGBTQ protections.
• Walz's comments come as the Trump administration enforces federal restrictions, including bans on trans athletes in women's sports and transgender military service members.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats have expressed concerns over trans participation in women's sports, exposing divisions within the party on the issue.
• A recent AP-NORC poll revealed that roughly half of Americans, including 19% of Democrats, approve of Trump's handling of transgender policies, reflecting a polarized electorate.
• Walz highlighted Minnesota's 'trans refuge' law, passed in 2023, as a model for protecting gender-affirming care and safeguarding transgender youth from legal threats.