After a turbulent midterm election, one moment from the campaign season has largely disappeared from the conversation: Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed’s response to a question about parental rights and transgender students in sports.
In an interview with Ross Douthat on “60 Minutes,” Douthat asked how El-Sayed viewed conflicts between parents’ authority over their children’s education and schools’ handling of issues such as transgender students joining sports teams. El-Sayed’s answer drew criticism from people who said it brushed aside real concerns.
Are the concerns being manufactured?
Instead of directly addressing questions about fairness, safety, and what students are taught at school, El-Sayed suggested that society manufactures these issues.
Critics argue that this overlooks experiences reported by girls and women who have competed against transgender athletes or shared locker rooms with them. They say these are not merely invented disputes, but concerns about privacy and safety that families have raised.
El-Sayed then shifted the discussion to phones and internet access. He noted that children can reach a vast amount of information online and argued that parents cannot shield them from everything they may find objectionable simply by relying on schools.
He went on to say that adults should help young people make sense of what they encounter, rather than focus on preventing them from seeing it. That argument, however, did not address the separate questions Douthat had raised about school policies or girls’ sports.
El-Sayed’s broader point was that cultural debates can distract from other problems. His critics say that framing dismisses issues many parents and students consider important.
Progressive privilege
The criticism is not limited to sports. Some parents, including those with religious beliefs, object to what they see as secular or left-leaning ideas being taught in public schools. Others have spoken about discomfort with locker-room arrangements or frustration when they believe competition has been unfair.
El-Sayed faced a quick backlash, though it soon faded amid the Democratic Party’s strong showing on Election Day. His remarks have continued to trouble people who believe progressive voices in entertainment, media, and higher education can promote their views with little challenge.
When those views are questioned, critics say, some progressives dismiss the concerns or deny that a problem exists. They argue El-Sayed’s response either showed a failure to grasp the stakes for families or a decision not to engage with them.
A troubling stance
Either interpretation raises questions about the position he may take in the Senate. Critics say too many elected officials have been unwilling to protect spaces reserved for women and girls.
Public opinion polling has suggested that many Americans oppose transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. While economic concerns and the Iran war played a larger role in the 2026 midterms, politicians such as El-Sayed would be wise to listen closely to parents, the article argues.
These concerns are not necessarily part of a political strategy. For many families, they are immediate and personal. The article concludes that dismissing them, rather than addressing them directly, is a mistake.
