Former NFL player running for office says Democrats need to fight for trans people

This story originally appeared on Q Voice News.The Democratic Party has been “cowering in the corner” when it comes to defending the trans community, former NFL player Chris Kluwe told LGBTQ+ News outlet Q Voice News.“We’re seeing a war against trans individuals being waged by our federal government, and we, as citizens, need to be willing to step up and say this is not OK,” Kluwe said. “The Democratic Party has taken a very defensive posture on trans issues when that’s the absolute wrong thing to do. You don’t make a bully go away by cowering in the corner and say, I’ll agree with you on these little things. That just encourages the bully.“We need to be full-throated in the attack, saying these are people who pay taxes, who serve in our military, and who are entitled to the exact same rights that every single other American is entitled to, which includes health care and the opportunity to live a prosperous life. We can’t be afraid of the right-wing fear machine. We have to take it to them, show that we’re willing to fight.”If it sounds like Kluwe is on the campaign trail, he is.Kluwe, the former Minnesota Vikings punter who made headlines in 2012 as one of the first NFL players to defend marriage equality, is on the Nov. 3 ballot in the general election.He’s running for state Assembly District 72, a section of Orange County covering several coastal cities, including Huntington Beach, his hometown. For two decades, Kluwe and wife Isabel have called Surf City home, where they’ve raised two children, Ace and Remy.Kluwe is no stranger to politics. He’s been active in local politics for many years, protesting against local book bans and speaking out regularly at Huntington Beach City Council meetings. The five-member council are self-avowed MAGA and supporters of President Donald Trump.As an “act of civil disobedience,” Kluwe got himself arrested last year during a council meeting.Public officials who “fold” on transgender issues,