Vance’s Former Friend Calls Transgender College Admissions Comments ‘Outrageous’

Sophia Nelson, a former friend of Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) from Yale Law School, on Thursday called the vice presidential candidate’s proposal that transgender people identify as such to make themselves more competitive for elite colleges and universities, “outrageous” and “offensive.”

Vance made the remarks during a three-hour interview with podcast host Joe Rogan, during which the two men also criticized allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports and questioned the science supporting gender-affirming healthcare. At one point, Vance said he expected he and former President Trump to win the “everyman gay vote.”

“I think the MAGA movement views minority identity as something we put on and take off, like a jacket,” Nelson, who is transgender, told CNN’s Laura Coates late Thursday. in a television appearance after the Vance-Rogan podcast episode aired. “The only benefit I’ve gotten from being transgender is that I can live as my authentic self, which I think is what all transgender people are looking for.”

“The reality for transgender people in America is that we are four times more likely to be victims of violent crime,” Nelson said, referring to to the analysis of 2021 federal crime victimization figures. “There’s no evidence to back up what he’s saying and I think it’s part of this nefarious, calculated plot to divide us and create division among the American people and that’s why you see them spending $100 million on advertising attacking me and my community. “

Trump and Vance have made anti-transgender messages a central part of their campaign’s closing argument, spending tens of millions of dollars on ads that portray the Democratic candidacies of Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as extreme because of their past support for transgender people. inclusive policy. At rallies, Trump often speaks out against what he calls “transgender madness” and has repeatedly promised to ban trans women and girls from participating in women’s sports teams as president.

The former president has also made remarks disparaging the LGBT community more broadly and last week referred to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who is gay, as “Allison Cooper” several times last week.

“Transgender people just want to be left alone so they can live their lives,” Nelson said Thursday. “I don’t bother anyone. I’m not making life difficult for any, quote, normal person, and I wish we could get back to a place of respectful, curious dialogue rather than attacks.”

“I miss JD and Usha. I don’t wish anything bad on them,” Nelson added. “I care about them as people, but the political messenger he has become I think is incredibly dangerous, and I encourage everyone, transgender or not, to think, ‘What does this kind of attack from our leaders mean for us?’ How’s the country? and “What message does this send to our children about bullying?” We wouldn’t want our children to talk like that about people who are different from us. We definitely don’t want our leaders talking about this.”

Vance touched on his former friendship with Nelson during an appearance on Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. Nelson, he said, “kind of got mad at me” when Vance spoke out against gender-affirming care for trans youth during the 2022 Senate campaign. Vance is the primary sponsor of a Senate bill that aims to make it a felony to provide transitional care for minors.

Nelson transmitted about 90 emails and text messages between himself and Vance, mostly from 2014 to 2017. from the New York Times in July. Vance in conversations describes Trump as a “morally reprehensible person” and expresses his support for Nelson’s gender identity. He and his wife Usha brought Nelson homemade baked goods after Nelson underwent surgery related to their transition.

“What I’ve seen is a chameleon, a man who is able to change his position and his values depending on what will bring him political power and wealth,” Nelson told CNN’s Erin Burnett in July. “And I think that’s really unfortunate because it reflects a lack of integrity.”

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