California State Senator Scott Wiener, who is running to replace retiring Congressman Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives, faced strong criticism for his transgender advocacy at a recent townhall event in San Francisco.
Tish Hyman, who says that her membership at Gold’s Gym in Los Angeles was revoked after she complained about a man using the women’s locker room, sharply questioned Wiener on what he would do about protecting female-only spaces if he won the election to replace Pelosi. Wiener responded with a generic affirmation that he wanted everyone to be safe, and recited leftist talking points about trans women being women.
The audience at Manny’s Cafe, which regularly hosts Democratic politicians, audibly turned on Hyman after she disputed this premise. An audience member is heard repeating that “trans women are women,” after which Hyman states that they are men and receives boos. Wiener elaborated that he wanted to ensure safety for all, but again drew the focus back to trans women, claiming that they are “brutalized” in this country.
Out of the Democratic candidates currently running to replace Pelosi, Wiener has been the most prolific in pushing transgender advocacy through legislation. In 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a Wiener-authored bill which allowed transgender prisoners to be housed based on their claimed gender. In 2024, Newsom signed another Wiener bill that prohibits school districts from requiring staff to notify parents of a student claiming to be the opposite sex.
Regardless of who replaces Pelosi in the 2026 election, though, the outcome will likely be the same, as the “trans women are women” mantra has become orthodoxy in the Democratic Party. This viewpoint doesn’t survive contact with real-world situations such as women’s sports and sex-segregated locker rooms, but true believers like Wiener are committed to defending it at all costs.
As Hyman walked out of the event, she shouted opposition toward passing laws allowing children to “transform,” referring to child transgenderism. Even in the aftermath of the 2024 election, though, Wiener still represents the warped Democratic consensus on the issue.
