Prominent Democrat and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has clarified recent remarks on the fairness of allowing biological males to compete in women’s and girls’ sports.
In July, during an interview with NPR, Buttigieg acknowledged that “there are serious fairness issues” surrounding the participation of transgender athletes in female sports. Speaking again on the subject in a Substack Live conversation with Aaron Parnas, he emphasized the need to listen to all sides — including parents who oppose the practice.
“I think in order to bring people together on this, we also have to take everyone seriously, including parents who have questions,” Buttigieg said.
He added that people concerned about fairness deserve to be heard: “They’re going to have questions about how to make sure that’s fair, and we should take those questions seriously and face those together.”
The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor also warned against politicizing the issue, saying it has been “used to hurt” individuals. He reiterated that policy decisions about transgender athletes in women’s sports should not be left to politicians.
“I see this issue being used to divide. I see it being used to hurt people,” Buttigieg said. “It’s especially hurtful for trans people and people with transgender members of their family who witness themselves or people they love being used as a political football.”
His initial comments on NPR drew criticism from some liberals and pro-trans activists, underscoring how divisive the matter remains within the Democratic Party. Buttigieg now joins other Democrats and public figures — including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, and HBO host Bill Maher — who have voiced opposition to allowing males to compete against females.
A New York Times report in April suggested that President Biden himself was not in favor of transgender athletes participating in women’s and girls’ sports. The piece noted ongoing internal debate during his administration over whether Title IX protections should extend to athletics. While some argued there was no legal difference between sports and bathroom access, Biden reportedly believed the competitive nature of sports created distinct fairness concerns.
Polling reflects widespread public agreement with that view. A New York Times/Ipsos survey found that 79% of Americans — including 67% of Democrats or Democratic-leaning respondents — believe transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.
Other research points to the political impact of the issue. A national exit poll from the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee found that 70% of moderate voters considered “Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls’ and women’s sports and using girls’ and women’s bathrooms” an important factor in their decision-making. Of those, 6% labeled it the most important issue, while 44% said it was “very important.”
