Massachusetts Democratic U.S. Representative Seth Moulton has come under fire from members of his own party in the past day after speaking out against the left’s stance on transgender athletes in girls and women’s sports.

In an interview with The New York Times, Moulton expressed his feelings on this topic, citing his position as a father of two daughters.

“Democrats spend far too much time trying not to offend anyone, rather than being brutally honest about the challenges facing many Americans,” he said. “I have two little girls. I don’t want them to be hit on a playground by a man or a former male athlete, but as a Democrat I should be afraid to say that.”

Moulton doubled down on his position in a statement released Friday night.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

“I am firm in my belief in the need for competitive women’s sports to place limits on the participation of those with the unfair physical advantages that come with male birth,” his statement said. “I am also a strong supporter of civil rights for all Americans, including transgender rights.

“I will fight, as I always have, for the rights and safety of all citizens. These two ideas are not mutually exclusive and we can even disagree with them. Yet there are many who, shouting from far-left corners of social media, believe we have failed the Democratic Party’s unspoken purity test.

“We didn’t lose the 2024 election because of any trans person or issue. We lost, in part, because we shame and discredit too many views held by too many voters, and that has to stop. Let’s have these debates now, let’s set a new strategy for our party since the existing one has failed, and then come together to oppose the Trump agenda wherever it threatens American values.”

The comments prompted vicious condemnations of Moulton, many from his Democratic allies.

Massachusetts state representative Manny Cruz suggested Moulton’s position was “a betrayal” in a post on X.

“Congressman Moulton, your commitment then was to protect the LGBTQ community, to stand up for their rights and compassion. Now, on a political whim, our congressman has betrayed the words he signed just last year, scapegoating sports for failures. of the Democratic Party and national leaders to win the presidential election You said you “will stand with Nagly and our entire community … against all forms of bigotry, discrimination, bullying and harassment,” Cruz wrote.

Salem City Councilman Kyle Davis, another Democrat, called on Moulton to resign.

“I’m not looking for an apology from (Moulton), I’m looking for a resignation,” Davis wrote in a post on X.

Massachusetts state senator Jamie Eldridge also condemned Moulton in a post about X and discouraged other democrats in his condition to follow Moulton’s example.

SAN JOSE STATE POLICE FIGHT TO PROTECT FEMALE ATHLETES THREATENED BY TRANSGENDER CULTURE WAR

“Don’t abandon our values,” Eldridge wrote in a message to fellow Massachusetts Democrats.

Moulton isn’t the only Democrat to back away from supporting biological males in women’s and girls’ sports in the recent election cycle. In the same New York Times article that quoted Moulton, Democratic US Representative Tom Suozzi of New York spoke out against him.

“Democrats need to stop pandering to the far left,” Suozzi said. “I don’t want to discriminate against anyone, but I don’t think biological boys should play in girls’ sports.

“Democrats aren’t saying that, and they should be.”

Democrats who previously voted for legislation that would allow transgender inclusion in women’s sports publicly denounced their support for the concept in the weeks leading up to Election Day. Those Democrats include Texas Rep. Colin Allred, Texas Rep. Vicente Gonzalez and Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola.

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown recently defended himself when pressed on the issue, saying he was never in favor of allowing biological males in women’s sports.

“In Ohio, this has already been banned,” Brown boasted in a campaign ad released in October.

However, some in the party continued to advocate for transgender inclusion and the right of transgender athletes to compete against biological females.

Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attacked the Green Party’s presidential ticket after the party’s vice presidential candidate, Butch Ware, spoke out against transgender athletes in women’s sports.

“I don’t think biological men should plays in women’s sports” Ware said in a video posted on X by attorney and columnist Olayemi Olurin. “I think it gives an unfair competitive advantage, you know.”

Ocasio-Cortez responded to the video, labeling the ticket “predatory.”

The Biden-Harris administration issued a sweeping rule in April that clarified that Title IX’s ban on “sex” discrimination in schools covers discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and “pregnancy or related conditions.” And while the administration has insisted that the regulation does not address athletic eligibility, several experts presented evidence to Fox News Digital in June that it would eventually put more biological males in women’s sports.

Ocasio-Cortez argued that the reform did not go far enough in favor of transgender people and, in particular, transgender athletes who want to compete in women’s sports.

“Absolutely no reason for the Biden admin to do this. It’s indefensible and embarrassing. The admin can still pull it off and should. It’s a shame,” Ocasio wrote in response to a report that the change would allow schools to ban. transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.

Bills such as the Equality Act and a Transgender Bill of Rights have been proposed and co-sponsored by Democrats, which would help include transgender people in women’s sports nationally.

Students hold flags as they protest Katy ISD’s new transgender policy outside the school district’s Educational Support Complex August 30, 2023 in Katy, Texas. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

President-elect Trump has suggested a federal ban on transgender inclusion in women’s and girls’ sports.

In June, a survey run by NORC at the University of Chicago asked respondents to consider whether transgender athletes of both sexes should be allowed to participate in sports leagues that match their preferred gender identity instead of their biological sex.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Sixty-five percent said it should never or rarely be allowed. When respondents were asked specifically about adult transgender athletes competing on women’s sports teams, 69% were opposed.

The united nations published study findings saying nearly 900 biological women were denied medals in sports because they were beaten by transgender athletes.

The study, titled “Violence against women and girls in sport”, said that more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 different sports, totaling more than 890 medals, according to information obtained by March 30.

“Replacing the women’s sport category with a mixed category has led to an increasing number of female athletes losing out, including medals, when competing against men,” the report said.