Former athlete and progressive Democrat says focus on trans participation in sports distracts from real inequities facing women athletes.
TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey congressional candidate Sue Altman, a former athlete and outspoken progressive, is condemning what she calls political “scapegoating” of transgender Americans, promising to be an “unequivocal ally” to the LGBTQ+ community if elected to represent the state’s 12th Congressional District.
Key Points
- Sue Altman criticized Republican lawmakers for targeting transgender athletes, calling it a “distraction” from real issues in women’s sports.
- The NJ-12 candidate said she will champion inclusion and fight against discrimination if elected to Congress.
- Altman’s comments come amid a national debate over transgender participation in school and collegiate athletics.
Altman, who previously led the New Jersey Working Families Party, shared her remarks in a social media post and subsequent town hall discussion, saying trans youth have become “easy pickings” for partisan attacks.
“As a female athlete, I guarantee you there’s about 75,000 other issues that I’m upset about before I get to the three people competing as trans athletes somewhere else,” she said.
Altman argued that the debate over transgender participation in women’s sports is being used to divide voters. “The idea that we are scapegoating our brothers and sisters in the trans community is, to me, just a microcosm of the cruelty of an administration that wants to ostracize people,” she said.
Advocating for inclusion and equity
Altman’s campaign has emphasized gender equity, education, and workers’ rights as key pillars of her platform. She said her experience as an athlete gives her perspective on the systemic barriers women still face in sports—such as unequal funding, poor facilities, and pay disparities—issues she believes receive far less political attention than they deserve.
“We need allies in Congress who won’t stand for Republicans scapegoating our trans neighbors,” Altman wrote. “That’s exactly who I’ll be in Congress.”
Her remarks have drawn both support and criticism as national attention continues to focus on gender and sports policy debates. Altman is running to succeed longtime Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman in New Jersey’s 12th District, which includes parts of Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, and Union counties.
Tags: Sue Altman, New Jersey, Congress
