After Easter weekend erupted into debates over President Biden's Transgender Visibility Day declaration, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers kept the coals hot by vetoing a bill which would bar transgender athletes from women's sports.

Lacking a veto-proof majority in Wisconsin’s legislature, Republicans could only watch as Evers, flanked by transgender advocates, signed the veto Monday afternoon. MIG Reports analysis of discussions surrounding the Wisconsin Governor’s veto found both swift and lasting backlash, with accusations Evers is “eradicating women’s sports.”

What They’re Saying

While Evers condemned the bill, saying it, “threatens the safety and dignity of LGBTQ Wisconsinites,” many online believe Evers’ veto represents a real danger.

• Many mentioning Evers’ move against bill argue this is dangerous for biological women, since transgender women have physical advantages.
  
• The discourse directed at Evers goes on to accuse Evers of “eradicating female sports” and “compromising the safety of women and girls.”

A common assertion in the discourse suggests the bill does not just disregard women’s safety, but that Democrats like Evers are betraying women entirely.

• Those angered over the veto accuse Evers of not standing up for women's rights or call him a misogynist who ignores science.

Riley Gaines, the former NCAA swim star who has become a central advocate against transgenders in women’s athletics, channeled the frustration of many. She took to X (formerly Twitter) to blast the Wisconsin Governor:

BREAKING: I hate women and children

Fixed it for you https://t.co/xZGmOU2vco

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 2, 2024

Others focus on a larger flashpoint in American culture wars that have seeped into American schools — parents' rights. Many online question Evers’ beliefs and actions in relation to the rights of parents.

Evers sought to justify his veto on grounds of protecting mental health, writing, “This type of legislation, and the harmful rhetoric beget by pursuing it, harms LGBT Wisconsinites' and kids' mental health.”

But many believe Evers and trans advocates are fueling the mental health crisis plaguing American kids. They argue being transgender is a mental illness, a delusion, or an abuse of children.

Some argue that trans youth should be blocked from women’s sports altogether. A portion of voters suggest alternative solutions like creating separate competition brackets for transgender athletes.

By the Numbers

Since vetoing the legislature’s bill, Governor Evers’ online mentions skyrocketed while his approval nosedived. He quickly found himself facing a barrage of negative attacks with few positive reinforcements.

• Typically, Evers’ averages just 88 mentions a day. That changed after Monday, jumping to 2,383 direct mentions online following the veto.
• Relatively uncontroversial and gaining little attention online, Evers’ approval before the veto hovered at or near 48%. This quickly dropped to 44% the day of his veto, continuing to tumble to 39% on both Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
• Evers found little help from those who support keeping transgenders in women’s sports. Negative comments towards Evers outweighed support by a ratio of 8 to 1.

Looking Ahead

As America hurdles towards another intense election in November, MIG Reports analysis of Trump versus Biden in Wisconsin shows a statistical tie, with an average of 45% support for both Trump and Biden in the last 30 days.

Issues like transgender rights continue to present a nearly impossible balancing act for Democrats in purple states, threatening to tip the scales in Trump’s favor. On one hand, Democrats like Biden and Evers must cater to younger Democrats who grow increasingly progressive on issues like trans rights. On the other hand, they must combat Republican efforts to paint Democrats as the party of Manhattan and not Milwaukee.

Still, Democrats cannot wriggle out of the double bind they find themselves. They are increasingly facing a potential collapse in progressive voter turnout. On Tuesday, more than 48,000 people traveled to the polls in Wisconsin’s Democratic Primary to select “Uninstructed.” This showing took 8% of the vote share, in protest against Biden’s Israel-Hamas war policies. Fearing more discontent among already depressed young progressives, Democrats are forced to hand Republicans another political lightning rod like transgender issues.