In theory, Alyssa Farah Griffin is supposed to be one of CNN’s conservative commentators, but in the real world that conservatism is often missing. On Friday’s CNN This Morning, Farah Griffin lamented that Republicans don’t appreciate the “nuance” of “transwomen in sports” and condemned the GOP and the White House for not compromising on a dichotomous issue.
Co-host Poppy Harlow began by telling Farah Griffin that “We were really intrigued by this sort of tweet thread you posted yesterday referring to polling about LGBTQ support. There is a distinction here, as you want to point out, between support for transgender women and girls playing in male sports. But my question to you is what is the bigger picture you're trying to point to here?”
The tweet thread was actually from Wednesday, but that is minor detail compared to Harlow’s verbiage mix up. The issue is “transgender women and girls”—that is biological men and boys”— competing in female sports.
Farah Griffin began by talking about issues outside of women’s sports, “Of course, it was first presented as only affecting education up to third grade, but now it's going up to 12th grade. So you're talking about high school students, you know, raising questions about how can you talk about your gay parents in the classroom or if you happen to be gay how is that even discussed? That's something my generation rejects.”
She further explained, “The polling shows eight in 10 Americans believe there should be more protections for the LGBTQ community to avoid discrimination. Sixty-seven percent of Republicans. I don't have the breakdown. I would assume a lot of those are younger voters.”
Naturally, Farah Griffin never explained how not talking about sexual orientation in a classroom can be considered the removal of a “protection.” Additionally, as she was giving this answer, CNN displayed the results of a Washington Post poll showing only 30 percent of Americans believe that "transgender women should be able to compete with other women."
As for the sports question, Farah Griffin claimed “The transwomen in sports issue is a very nuanced issue and Congress is where nuance goes to die. I mean, the breakdown of that vote just shows that there was absolutely no effort to try to meet in the middle and find something that works for both sides.”
It isn’t nuanced. Running, swimming, and other sports are not like the chess club and the fallacious argument to moderation does not change that. Nevertheless, Farah Griffin continued, “I have talked to a lot of parents, mostly, you know, who have female daughters, who have concerns over this issue. But there is certainly something that I think is a step below a federal bar on trans athletes competing in women's sports that could be reached.”
Lamenting Republicans think there is a legislative solution to this problem, she continued, “frankly, I would say the NCAA should come up with a standard that would make sure that, you know, biological women feel comfortable but you're also not alienating transwomen from being able to compete altogether.”
Wrapping up her sports-related, Farah Griffin again pretended there was some middle ground that could be reached, “The White House has come down very strongly on one side and Republicans on the other. Neither are even trying to be in the middle on it.”
What is that middle ground? Farah Griffin never said, probably because there isn’t any.
This segment was sponsored by Subaru.
Here is a transcript for the April 21 show:
CNN This Morning
4/21/2023
7:53 PM ET
POPPY HARLOW: We were really intrigued by this sort of tweet thread you posted yesterday referring to polling about LGBTQ support. There is a distinction here, as you want to point out, between support for transgender women and girls playing in male sports. But my question to you is what is the bigger picture you're trying to point to here?
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Big picture -- I think the GOP is going way too far pushing anti-LGBTQ policies. The so-called Don't Say Gay bill in Florida will lose you a generation of voters.
Of course, it was first presented as only affecting education up to third grade, but now it's going up to 12th grade. So you're talking about high school students, you know, raising questions about how can you talk about your gay parents in the classroom or if you happen to be gay how is that even discussed?
That's something my generation rejects. The polling shows eight in 10 Americans believe there should be more protections for the LGBTQ community to avoid discrimination. Sixty-seven percent of Republicans. I don't have the breakdown. I would assume a lot of those are younger voters.
So I think that there's a -- there's this really big overreach on the right to try to appeal to primary voters -- many of them, frankly, older voters who have more traditional old-school views on these issues. But I think it's a total loser in a general election.
I think Ron DeSantis' numbers dropping is partially because of this. He’s alienating an entire community.
The transwomen in sports issue is a very nuanced issue and Congress is where nuance goes to die. I mean, the breakdown of that vote just shows that there was absolutely no effort to try to meet in the middle and find something that works for both sides.
I have talked to a lot of parents, mostly, you know, who have female daughters, who have concerns over this issue. But there is certainly something that I think is a step below a federal bar on trans athletes competing in women's sports that could be reached.
So the U.S. Census says we have about 1.5 million transgender Americans. That's a minority within a minority. The number of those who then go on to be elite athletes competing at this level -- this is not an issue that is affecting a ton of people. And I would think that there is something -- frankly, I would say the NCAA should come up with a standard that would make sure that, you know, biological women feel comfortable but you're also not alienating transwomen from being able to compete altogether.
The White House has come down very strongly on one side and Republicans on the other. Neither are even trying to be in the middle on it.
LEMON: And Alyssa, I think you're exactly right. It is -- it's an important issue. But when you see the number of people who are affected by -- really, really, really small, as you said.
The question is that these sort of, you know, social wedge issues -- why -- then why are Republicans still -- because it's a losing issue for them.
GRIFFIN: They're very -- it's -- they're very animating issues in a primary and with a certain wing of the donor class. But then I would argue on the flip side some prominent donors came out against Gov. DeSantis and said you're going too far on some of these social issues and pulled back support.
But I do think it's a -- you know, there are donors who would like to see the GOP be a part of the 1990s where, you know, we're against gay marriage, we're against marriage equality. That's not where the country is moving. No one wants to go backward on these issues.
