Democratic Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio has recently reversed her stance on transgender issues, promoting anti-transgender messaging in the lead-up to midterm elections.
Kaptur, who previously served as a prominent ally of LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and co-sponsored legislation prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in public accommodations and federally funded programs, now runs ads stating she “said no to gender ideology in schools” and that she “voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools.”
The shift follows Kaptur’s signing of a bill in May with Republicans to pass the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, which requires public elementary schools to obtain parental consent before changing a child’s pronouns or sex-based accommodations.
Kaptur’s reversal has drawn sharp criticism. Erin Reed, the romantic partner of cross-dressing Montana state Representative Zooey Zephyr, condemned her change in stance, stating, “This is getting out of control” and urging voters not to support anti-transgender Democrats. Former Kaptur intern Nick Fulton expressed embarrassment at having her name on his resume after seeing her ads, noting he removed it.
The non-straight advocacy group Equality Ohio assigned Kaptur a D-grade, highlighting that while she previously earned a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign, she has now released anti-transgender advertisements. Lucas County Stonewall Democrats published a letter demanding Kaptur remove her “transphobic ad,” arguing her words create deep emotional harm and endanger transgender community members.
The Christopher Steele Project warned that Democrats who abandon their trans allies risk losing organized political power within the queer community.
Kaptur’s opponent, Republican Derek Merrin, accused her of resorting to “naked election-time opportunism” and claimed she is “desperate to hold onto power.” Merrin stated, “Marcy Kaptur is claiming that she no longer wants men to be able to play in women’s sports. The problem is she’s voted twice against a bill that would have prohibited that practice. She’s also co-sponsored six times the radical Equality Act that would allow men to play women’s sports and enter women’s locker rooms.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Zach Bannon said, “Lies from desperate Democrat Marcy Kaptur can’t erase her radical record. Kaptur is in damage control, and she must remove herself as a co-sponsor of the Equality Act and disavow her previous votes or remove her lies from the airwaves.”
Kaptur’s change in messaging comes months after Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton was downgraded by Equality Ohio for claiming she does “not support boys playing in girls’ sports,” weeks after Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico walked back his support for men in girls’ sports, and days after North Carolina Representative Don Davis released a commercial stating that “there should always be a safe and fair space for women and girls in sports.”
