Backlash for Democrat in NJ who breaks with party on trans athletes

🏊‍♂️ Longtime NJ Democrat gets backlash from progressives

🏊‍♂️ He's on the state high school athletics board

🏊‍♂️ NJSIAA has established rules on transgender athletes

A longtime New Jersey senator is swimming against the current and getting panned by progressives.

State Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, got backlash for his answer on "State of Affairs with Steve Adubato" when asked whether transgender women, who were born as biological males and transitioned, should be allowed to compete in women's sports.

"Males should not be participating in women’s sports whether it’s at the rec level, the high school level, or the collegiate level. Period at the end," Sarlo said.

Sarlo played college baseball at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and is on the executive board of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. The NJSIAA comprises around 440 high schools that agree to follow its rules for sports and tournaments.

The state senator has been in office since 2003 and is the Senate's deputy majority leader.

He said the Democratic Party "failed miserably" to take moderate positions leading up to the 2024 presidential election.

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"I'm not afraid to say it. I feel strongly about that and I think if we just talked a little bit more straight up and a little more practical and common sense we could have did much better at the polls. Hey, elections have consequences," Sarlo said.

Sarlo did not respond to an email seeking comment from New Jersey 101.5.

Longtime Democrat gets backlash from progressives

Sarlo's comments spurred reactions from LGBTQ advocates and other progressives.

Louise Walpin, whose same-sex marriage was the first to be legally recognized in the state, said Sarlo's comments were "dehumanizing" and "MAGA-inspired"

"His words also deepen the disillusionment of the LGBTQ+ community and people of color who already feel abandoned by a party that offers empty platitudes instead of concrete action," Walpin said in an opinion piece published by the New Jersey Monitor.

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Garden State Equality said Sarlo's comments ignored the NJSIAA's policies on transgender athletes.

"For more than a decade, the NJSIAA’s policy has fostered fairness and inclusion, with zero disruptions. Framing this issue as a crisis is not about protecting fairness; it’s about creating division at the expense of vulnerable young people," the civil rights group said.

NJSIAA guidelines on transgender policy

Transgender athletes have been allowed to play on the team consistent with their gender identity since 2009, according to the NJSIAA.

The NJSIAA provides a list of frequently asked questions about the policy on its website. The most relevant questions and answers, copied verbatim from the FAQ, are listed below.

❓ Question: What is a transgender student?
🔴 Answer: NJSIAA defines a “transgender student” as a student whose gender identity differs from the student’s sex assigned at birth.

❓ Question: How does a transgender student establish their gender identity?
🔴 Answer: The student must declare their gender identity. There is no medical test or official document required to establish one’s gender identity. The first point of contact for determining the student’s eligibility shall be with the member school. Disputes regarding gender identity assignment for the purposes of athletic registration will be resolved solely at the member school level.

❓ Question: Is a transgender student eligible to play high school sports in New Jersey?
🔴 Answer: Yes, a transgender student is eligible to play high school sports in New Jersey.

❓ Question: What sports is the transgender student eligible to play?
🔴 Answer: The transgender student is eligible to play sports consistent with either their birth sex or their gender identity, but not both. For example, a transgender male (a student whose assigned sex at birth was female but identifies as male) may participate in girls’ sports or boys’ sports, but not both. If, for example, a transgender male plays boys’ basketball, he cannot then play girls’ softball. Likewise, a transgender female (a student whose assigned sex at birth was male but identifies as female) is also able to participate in girls’ sports or boys’ sports, but not both. For example, if a transgender girl plays girls’ field hockey, she cannot then play boys’ basketball.

❓ Question: What if a transgender student’s identification adversely affects competition or safety?
🔴 Answer: If an NJSIAA member school believes that the participation of a particular transgender student would adversely affect competition or safety, that school may appeal the student’s eligibility. The appeal would be heard by the NJSIAA’s Eligibility Appeals Committee (a group of educators). The hearing would be confidential. The hearing would focus on issues related to competition and safety and would not determine whether the school had properly determined the student’s sex-assignment.

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