Republicans accused Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of supporting gender transitions for children throughout the 2024 election cycle, which he said took a political toll.
Demonstrators at the Texas Capitol protest state Senate Bill 14 that would ban gender transition health care for trans kids in Texas on May 2, 2023.WASHINGTON — Two moderate South Texas Democrats voted Tuesday to ban federal funds for schools that allow trans athletes in girls sports, breaking from the rest of their party., D-Laredo, were the only Democrats in Congress to vote for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.
Both Gonzalez and Cuellar are in politically vulnerable seats. Their majority-Latino districts both voted for President-elect Donald Trump in last year’s elections. After his victory this year, Gonzalez criticized his fellow Democrats for urging him to support pro-LGBT legislation in the past, saying some of the priorities do not reflect the values of his majority-Catholic district and hurt him in the election.
Gonzalez's post-election comments prompted pushback from LGBT activists in South Texas, who spurned Gonzalez’s claim that pro-trans legislation was against the region’s values. Five of the activists had a video follow-up call with Gonzalez in December where Gonzalez promised he would never vote for legislation that would actively harm trans Texans, said Dani Marrero Hi, a community organizer and one of the participants on the call. Other participants on the call included constituents who had block walked for Gonzalez and a mother whose son is a trans athlete, who shared their experiences with Gonzalez living in the socially conservative district.
In response to Marrero Hi's comments, Gonzalez's office said:"The Congressman is glad to meet with all constituents to learn from their viewpoints and hear their experiences. Congressman Gonzalez will continue to fight for South Texans in Congress by working to lower costs and creating economic opportunities for all.”
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