Abortion talk turns into inaccurate and transphobic attack in Michigan’s second U.S. Senate debate

The second debate between U.S. Senate candidates Elissa Slotkin and Mike Rogers of Michigan, which aired on Detroit’s ABC affiliate WXYZ, was similar to the first. Many of the same issues were brought into the spotlight, ranging from the economy and electric vehicle production to immigration and health care. No specific LGBTQ questions were asked, but Mike Rogers brought up LGBTQ youth and politics in his response to a question about abortion.

Abortion is an LGBTQ issue and is the second most important issue for LGBTQ voters, according to the GLAAD survey. WXYZ anchor Carolyn Clifford asked the candidates, “How do you plan to approach this issue in a way that respects both individual rights and diverse viewpoints?” Slotkin expressed support for codification roe while highlighting her pro-choice record before turning her attention to Rogers.

“Mr. Rogers has voted for every bill, ban and abortion restriction put before him for 20 years in a row,” said Slotkin, who later noted that Rogers’ anti-abortion vote record is 56. “I can do that “Don’t tell you how strongly I believe that people tell you who they are when they vote. They’ve made it very, very clear. Don’t trust him on this.”

In his response, Rogers called abortion “the most heartbreaking decision a woman would ever have to make.” And I think it’s best done with her family, with her partner, with her faith, with her doctor where she lives. Rogers referred to Proposition 3 of 2022, which amended the Michigan Constitution to secure the right to reproductive freedom, adding: “The state of Michigan and the people of Michigan went to the polls and voted.” They did voted to legalize abortion and make it part of their constitution – our constitution. And that’s why when I return to the U.S. Senate, I will do nothing to reverse the vote of the people.”

Rogers later avoided defending his abortion record in favor of attacking transgender people and youth: “If you care about all women, this is a good time to talk about Title IX, where my opponent said I wouldn’t protect girls in women’s sports.” , and I” I am not protecting girls by allowing men into the locker rooms. She voted for both. If you want to protect women, there are other options.”

Rogers joins other embattled state Senate candidates in misrepresenting transgender people on the debate stage while avoiding mention of any active plans to support restoring access to reproductive health care. Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick also addressed Sen. Bob Casey’s LGBTQ record in his debate earlier this month. Ohio car salesman Bernie Moreno baselessly claimed that “women over 50 don’t care about abortion” while simultaneously running one of the most expensive Senate campaigns in the country, targeting transgender people and opponent Sen. Sherrod Brown. Sen. Ted Cruz is actively avoiding his record of promoting and celebrating abortion bans, instead launching a multimillion-dollar ad campaign to denigrate opponent Colin Allred’s trans allies. (Cruz is debating Allred tonight and McCormick is returning tonight to debate Casey in Pennsylvania. Brown and Moreno have not agreed to a debate in Ohio.)

An estimated $100 million advertising campaign is underway in the final weeks before Election Day that attacks transgender people and includes ads supporting former President Donald Trump and candidates like McCormick, Moreno, Cruz and Missouri’s Josh Hawley managed to lie about both Missouri’s ballot measure expanding access to abortion and trans health care – Eric Hovde in Wisconsin, the opponent of Senator Jon Tester of Montana and Rogers of Michigan.

Rogers’ inaccurate claim about Title IX echoes Trump’s Title IX rhetoric. Trump vowed to “end Title IX protections covering sexual orientation and gender identity on day one.” Among his campaign promises is Trump’s promise to “be a dictator” from day one.

Reality Check: As It Is Now, Title IX not currently offer protections for transgender athletes who wish to participate in school sports. CDC data shows that transgender youth experience significantly higher rates of bullying, “violence, poor mental health, suicidal thoughts and behavior, housing instability, and a lower prevalence of school affiliation than their cisgender counterparts.” Protections for transgender students who want to play school sports are off the table for now, as schools can help these students feel connected.

Additional reality check on the lack of effectiveness of anti-transgender campaigns and rhetoric: The vast majority of non-LGBTQ adults, 95 percent, believe that schools should be safe and provide spaces for all youth. The GLAAD voter poll shows that all voters overwhelmingly believe that politicians should “stop focusing on restricting women’s rights and banning medical care for transgender youth and instead focus on fighting inflation, “We should focus on job creation and health care costs.”

Targeting transgender people is a strange strategy, and not just because it derailed campaigns by anti-trans candidates in recent elections. In the current election, Erin Reed reported, “voters rate transgender issues as the least important to their vote on a list of 22 issues. Of those who rate it as very important, most are Democratic voters.”

3. The latest poll asked voters about the importance of 22 issues to their vote, ranging from China to Palestine, Supreme Court justices, race relations, taxes and the economy and more.

Voters ranked transgender issues last in order of importance. pic.twitter.com/Yb0oSXnOvq

— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) October 10, 2024