As a Black mother and lifelong Democrat who serves in the Texas Legislature, I made the bold decision to leave the Left. Over time, I came to a painful realization: The Democratic Party had lost its way, abandoning the commonsense values that once united us in favor of embracing dangerous, radical ideologies.
Today, the Democratic platform no longer reflects the beliefs of middle-class, God-fearing, everyday Americans, but instead caters to a small but loud minority of radicals who have hijacked the party. One of the most alarming shifts has been the Democratic Party’s wholehearted embrace of transgender ideology, which has become the new religion of the Left, demanding blind faith and allegiance.
I no longer recognize the political party I once called home for several reasons, but this sits at the top of the list: it’s become controversial to acknowledge simple truths, like the fact that men can’t have babies.
In 2022, more than 300,000 American children aged 13–17 identified as “transgender.” Among children aged 6–17, new diagnoses of gender dysphoria increased by 178% in just five years (2017–2021). The Left is actively targeting children with wrongful messages about basic biology. This pipeline begins in K–12 classrooms with the sowing of gender confusion in the minds of malleable children. It culminates with children and young adults undergoing harmful and irreversible gender transition procedures.
Over 80% of children with gender dysphoria (the medical term for psychological distress associated with transgenderism) do not carry this condition into adulthood. Yet, many children in the U.S. are still receiving irreversible therapies and surgeries before they turn 18.
Despite enormous pressure from the Democratic House Caucus to bully me into opposing these protections, I could not, in good conscience, take part in pushing children into becoming lifelong medical patients. During this recent legislative session, I took a stand and voted for Senate Bill 14 to protect children from irreversible surgeries and harmful cross-sex hormones until they turn 18.
I believe in protecting the innocence of children. It’s unconscionable to think that in certain liberal-run states, it is now illegal for schools to notify the parents of transitioning children in the public school system
The Left’s overreach extends beyond our kids. It is erasing the rights of biological women by allowing males to compete in women’s sports, undermining the very protections of Title IX. This landmark law, which provides equal opportunities for women in sports, is now being eroded as America’s leaders are forcing young women to compete against biological males who “identify” as women. We should treat every American equally, but it’s essential to acknowledge significant biological differences between men and women.
In a political landscape where the loudest progressive voices now demand unquestioning loyalty to harmful policies, I am choosing to align with the Republican Party, the party of Lincoln, that prioritizes the safety and well-being of children and women over political correctness. There will be critics who claim I am betraying the blue wave. To them, I say this: My allegiance was never to a political party. It has always been to my faith, my family, and the future of our country.
To my fellow Black Americans, the Democratic Party is brazenly asking us to cast votes that betray our own interests. Take education—under the heavy hands of leftist leadership, it’s harder for Black parents to have a say in our children’s education. We have always believed that “education is the great equalizer,” yet progressive Democrats want to manipulate us into opposing school choice, leaving most of our children trapped in failing public schools. We must contend with soaring costs for food, gas, and housing, yet we are asked to shoulder the burdens of those who cross our borders illegally — all through the distorted lens of “liberalism.”
Let us remember: Being a Democrat is not our birthright. We didn’t come into this world with a donkey branded on our backs. We have the right to vote according to our conscience and core values, in addition to a right to prosperity.
The Democratic Party no longer stands for the principles most Americans hold dear. Not only is it okay to leave, but it is also our moral and patriotic duty to stand up for what is right. We must put the well-being of our children, families, and Nation first. We are no longer bound by the chains of a Party that has lost its way.
Rep. Shawn Thierry is an America First Works advisor and four-term member of the Texas Legislature. She serves as Vice Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and is now part of the Texas House Republican Delegation.