Responding to the GOP’s LGBTQ+ Rhetoric
5 min
…without playing into their traps
We all saw it: that ad. “Kamala is for they/them. Trump is for you.” We’ve heard the GOP pigeonhole the discussion into public restrooms and Olympic athletes. They’ve manufactured an outright culture war.
If Democrats want to win and stay true to our values, we must be able to push back.
Here’s a framework to respond when the GOP’s talking points try to lead you into the trap.
1. Ground LGBTQ+ rights in broader American values.
When LGBTQ+ Americans become the GOP’s exiles of the month, remind voters what they’re really trying to do: wedge divides between us. But freedom, equality, and fairness are not privileges afforded to the few who fit the far-right’s mold – they’re the rights of all.
Supporting LGBTQ+ rights is not fringe. It’s not niche. It’s patriotic. The more we shy away from blatantly saying it, the more ground we cede for the GOP to run away with their attacks and their guise of “liberty and justice for all”.
We’re not just fighting for inclusion — we’re reclaiming the American identity they’ve tried to hijack. The one built on the idea that everyone gets a fair shot.
2. Refuse to let the GOP define the conversation.
Earlier in 2025, Fox News began reporting that taxpayer dollars are going toward transgender surgeries on animals. That’s a bad-faith distraction meant to inflame and confuse – not inform and clarify.
The far-right churns out bizarre headlines and dares us to defend them. They paint caricatures of LGBTQ+ Americans and frame them as the issue so they don’t have to provide answers for their healthcare, economic concerns, or safety.
It’s not surprising that these distractions and rabbit holes have dominated so much of the conversation when the President and his enablers tout them as Democrats’ official platform – and we say nothing in response.
Progress on LGBTQ+ rights isn’t about surgeries for animals, public restroom signage, or a couple of Olympic athletes (their go-to talking points for pigeonholing and undermining). Yet too often, that’s what we find ourselves talking about when we don’t steer the conversation toward what we’re really getting at. Which should be building a nation that guarantees every person the right to exist without fear.
Don’t be cornered, and don’t take their bait. Be clear: this is about families living freely and safely from discrimination and government overreach. Come back to this each and every time MAGA closes in and distracts so they can keep dodging accountability.
3. Stand firm on what you’re for.
If it’s not clear yet, let’s be upfront: Republicans have taken the offense on an issue they have no legs to stand on. They’re banning books, bullying children, and trying to legislate people out of existence.
Putting them back on defense starts with Democratic candidates standing firm in what we’re really advocating for.
That LGBTQ+ kids deserve to be safe in school.
That LGBTQ+ workers deserve full protection from discrimination.
That LGBTQ+ patients and their doctors deserve to pursue healthcare that meets their needs.
Have conviction and moral clarity. Don’t belittle your own beliefs. And don’t apologize for it.
NDTC remains focused on diversifying Democratic leadership by backing our LGBTQ+ learners with the tools they’ll need to win in their communities. If you identify as LGTBQ+, are considering running for office, or know someone who is, check out our on demand course on the fundamentals of equity and inclusion in campaigns.
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