A far-left Democratic congressional candidate in New York is facing scrutiny after advocating for taxpayer-funded gender-transition procedures and a sweeping “Trans Bill of Rights.” According to Breitbart, State Assemblymember Claire Valdez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), made the remarks during a recently released interview with a Twitch streamer who had previously been suspended from the platform “for calling Jews a ‘demonic ethnicity.’”
Valdez, who is running for an open House seat in New York’s 7th District, argued that transgender rights should be embedded into expansive federal programs. She specifically called for Medicare for All to include taxpayer-funded gender-affirming care.
“We need to make sure that we’re enshrining their rights in a Trans Bill of Rights and in workplaces,” Valdez said.
She went further, urging the creation of a “Trans Bill of Rights” and expanded workplace protections, while sharply criticizing fellow Democrats who have distanced themselves from certain aspects of trans activism. Valdez labeled such Democrats “absolute cowards,” signaling frustration with even modest disagreement within the party.
Casting the debate in stark ideological terms, Valdez warned against limiting healthcare access for any group, arguing that doing so would amount to capitulation.
“We have to hold the line on trans rights … It’s absolutely essential, because the minute we start saying, ‘Oh, maybe health care, but not for this group of people. Maybe health care, but not for immigrants or trans folks.’ That’s the minute we let fascists win,” she said.
Valdez’s campaign has drawn support from prominent progressive figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders, as well as backing from the DSA’s New York City chapter. She is running against Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the Democratic primary.