AP Photo/José Luis Villegas
A former staffer for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blasted him and other Democratic Party leaders in an essay published by Teen Vogue on Monday.
Leah Juliett said the struggling party was alienating an entire generation of younger voters by pivoting to the center on LGBT and other issues.
Juliett cited recent comments from Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) as evidence that Democrats were alienating millions of people by going all-in on transgender issues.
Since launching a podcast last month, Newsom has put distance between himself and the term “Latinx.” He has also said he opposes trans women competing in women’s sports.
Schumer, meanwhile, has spent a month under fire from within his own ranks for helping Republicans advance a funding bill supported by President Donald Trump.
Juliett blasted Schumer and Newsom in the essay:
In 2019, I helped to produce a video for Senate Democrats about Donald Trump’s transgender military service ban, interviewing trans service members and illuminating the importance of inclusive service. Today, Democrats, including Schumer, appear to be in disarray over
an attempt to find a unified stance on transgender rights. What once felt like a strong display of allyship now feels ambivalent, if not outright harmful.It’s not just Senator Schumer whose clinging to centrism has hurt real people. In a recent episode of Gavin Newsom’s podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom,” the California governor suggested that support for transgender rights had gone too far and hurt Democrats. Newsom and other Democrats owe trans folks more than vague sympathies and political calculus — our rights aren’t “too far” or “too much”; they’re non-negotiable. Defending LGBTQ+ existence should be a Democratic priority, not a liability.
Juliett added that “centrist” compromises on LGBT issues by top Democrats “are fundamentally about humanity and dignity.”
“That disconnect continues to push young voters away,” Juliett wrote. “But it doesn’t stop with trans rights.” the former Schumer staffer continued:
Whether it’s watered-down climate policies or half-measures on student debt and health care, the Democratic Party’s reluctance to take bold, unapologetic stances clashes with what young people expect from a so-called progressive movement. To be clear, we’re not asking for perfection — we’re demanding urgency, empathy, and courage. Instead, we’re met with compromises on core values, as if basic rights are up for negotiation. For a generation facing existential crises, that’s not leadership — it’s alienation.Young voters have historically trusted Democrats to work against outdated policies
and toward systemic change. But the shift in party dynamics has left many young voters increasingly disaffected by politics and disconnected from a party that once felt aligned with our values. Reflecting on my time on Capitol Hill, I notice this rupture more than ever.
Juliett concluded that Democrats should coalesce around progressive figures such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
“I walked away from my job on Capitol Hill because it broke my heart and my trust in the Democratic Party,” Juliett concluded. “I left feeling disillusioned, unheard, and distressed. I know I’m not alone.”