Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton’s former interns, staffers demand apology over LGBTQ remarks

Democrats continued blasting Congressman Seth Moulton over the weekend for sticking to his opinion that boys and transgender athletes have no place in girls’ sports and voicing his belief that pronouns in email signatures are “kind of weird.”

As criticism against the former U.S. Marine and presidential candidate kept raining down, a group of former staffers and interns on Saturday circulated a letter expressing their concerns about Moulton’s recent statements, demanding an apology.

On Sunday, Moulton appeared on MSNBC where he said party leaders wouldn’t even return his calls, proving his point that Democrats need to be able to talk about divisive issues.

The staffers demanding an apology wrote, “As Democrats, we believe in constructive, compassionate dialogue, and we know you are committed to representing all your constituents fairly. We ask that you reconsider your approach to discussing these issues and offer an apology to the LGBTQ+ community, especially as members of this community have proudly served under your leadership.”

“Our party’s strength lies in its commitment to progress and inclusivity for everyone,” the letter ends.

The Massachusetts Democrat, in his criticized remarks, blamed his party for the Republican red wave and President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, saying that Dems were “out of touch with the American people,” especially on transgender issues.

“I have two little girls. I don’t want them getting run over on the playing field by a male or formerly male athlete. But as a Democrat, I’m supposed to be afraid to say that,” Moulton reportedly told a New York Times reporter in the wake of Tuesday’s election.

In an interview with GBH’s Morning Edition on Friday, Moulton slammed his colleagues over pronouns in email signatures.

“I mean, here we are accusing Republicans of being weird, and we’re the ones who are suddenly requiring people to put pronouns in their email signatures,” the congressman said. “I mean, that’s kind of weird, to be honest. You know, we went through the whole gay rights movement. We went through the whole Civil Rights Movement. We never had to say, you know, ‘Seth Moulton: Straight’ or ‘Seth Moulton: White.’ And all of a sudden, we have to change all our values to meet the needs or demands of one very small minority group.”

The former staffers and interns alleged Moulton’s comment diminishes “the significance of a simple but powerful means of affirming identity.”

“Dismissing these efforts as ‘demands of a small minority group’ risks alienating vulnerable members of our society, whom we should be supporting in their efforts to be heard and respected,” the group wrote.

Jeremy Comeau, co-chairman of the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, an advocacy group for the LGBTQIA+ community, and a Cape and Islands representative on the Democratic State Committee, posted the letter Saturday afternoon on X.

Moulton, during a Sunday appearance on MSNBC, said that the reaction to his comments demonstrates precisely what he was trying point out – that it’s simply verboten for Democrats to even talk about these sorts of issues.

“The point is, that the backlash that I’ve received proves my point that we can’t even have these discussions as a party,” he said. “The Chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party wouldn’t even return my phone call.”

MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan said in a statement that Moulton’s comments don’t reflect the state party’s values.

“The Massachusetts Democratic Party is proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community, especially our transgender friends, neighbors, and loved ones across the Commonwealth. These comments do not represent the broad view of our Party.”

Moulton’s campaign manager Matt Chilliak resigned following his remarks, the Globe reported on Friday. The Herald reached out to Moulton’s office for comment about Chilliak, and a spokesperson responded, “We’re not commenting on personnel matters (office policy).”

Moulton doubled down on his remarks Friday evening.

“I stand firmly in my belief for the need for competitive women’s sports to put limits on the participation of those with the unfair physical advantages that come with being born male,” Moulton said in a statement. “I am also a strong supporter of the civil rights of all Americans, including transgender rights.”

“Yet there are many who, shouting from the extreme left corners of social media, believe I have failed the unspoken Democratic Party purity test,” the congressman added. “We did not lose the 2024 election because of any trans person or issue. We lost, in part, because we shame and belittle too many opinions held by too many voters and that needs to stop.”

The former staffers and interns behind the letter wrote they believe Moulton’s “remarks about protecting fairness in youth sports by opposing trans athletes imply that inclusion comes at the cost of others’ safety and success.”

“The way these concerns were presented risks reinforcing a harmful narrative about trans youth, who already face disproportionate discrimination and challenges,” they wrote.