Tufts University has walked back a political science department chair’s purported claim that the school would cut off internships with Rep. Seth Moulton’s office over his concerns about transgender athletes competing in female sports.
In response to a firestorm that erupted after allegations surfaced that its political science department chair called Moulton’s (D-Mass.) team to say Tufts would stop facilitating internships with his office, the Boston institution clarified that is not the case.
“We have reached out to Congressman Moulton’s office to clarify that we have not–and will not–limit internship opportunities with his office,” Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations at Tufts University, told The Post in a statement.
“We remain committed to fostering an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives, and our Career Center will continue to provide students with a wide range of employment opportunities across the political and ideological spectrum.”
Internal Slack messages that summarized the call claimed Tufts political science department chair, David Art, delivered the news to Moulton’s team.
Art “said he consulted with his colleagues and doesn’t want our office to contact Tufts about internships and they won’t facilitate internship opportunities for students with us,” the Boston Globe reported.
The Post contacted both Art and Moulton’s office for comment.
The Bay State Rep. stoked the ire of progressives last week during his 2024 election postmortem in which he implied that Democrats walk on eggshells about too many issues.
“Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face,” the lawmaker told the New York Times.
“I have two girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat, I’m supposed to be afraid to say that.”
Blowback from his left flank was swift.
“I’m not looking for an apology from @sethmoulton I’m looking for a resignation,” Salem City Councilor Kyle Davis wrote on X.
Republicans have long pummeled Democrats over transgender issues, particularly with respect to female sports and gender transition surgeries on minors.
President-elect Donald Trump has unveiled plans to ask Congress to take up legislation affirming that there are only two genders.
Moulton, 46, has stood by his remarks even in the face of his colleagues’ consternation.
“If we don’t have this debate and come up with a reasonable, rational position that the majority of Americans can agree with, then we’re just going to lose the field to whatever radical bill or position the Republicans adopt,” he told the Boston Globe.
He’s also clarified that he doesn’t believe that the transgender issue singlehandedly cost Democrats in the Nov. 5 election, telling Boston 25 News that “we shame and belittle too many opinions held by too many voters and that needs to stop.”
Over 1.6 million Americans age 13 or older are transgender, according to the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, representing just under 2% of the population.
Meanwhile, polls have indicated that at least 70% of Americans want protections for female sports.
Moulton’s remarks came amid soul-searching and a reckoning within the Democratic Party following its spate of losses last Tuesday.
A common theme in many election post-mortems has been that the party has gotten too “woke” and made voters afraid to speak their minds on tricky issues.
