Alabama Democrats hit back at GOP on affordability: ‘Did transgender people do that?’

Alabama Democrats are pushing back after one of the state’s top Republican leaders made anti-trans remarks about two candidates seeking seats in the state Legislature.

Allison “Ally” Montgomery and Terri Osborne, who are both transgender and running as Democrats for separate seats in Alabama’s House of Representatives, were the targets of Scott Stadthagen, chair of the Alabama Republican Party, during a speech to the Eastern Shore Republican Women.

“We’ve got two men who have mental disorders, who like to dress like women, who think they are females on the ballot this general election,” Stadthagen said, according to The Alabama Political Reporter. “One’s in Madison County, one’s in Baldwin County. That is a mental disorder, ladies and gentlemen.”

Montgomery and Osborne responded that Republicans are more focused on gender than on other issues because they have nothing else to run on.

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“I find it amazing that Representative Scott Stadthagen and my opponent, Danielle Duggar, seem so obsessed with my gender that they apparently have no time to discuss the problems facing the people of Alabama,” Osborne said in a video posted on her campaign site and in a text version on her Facebook page.

“First off, to address their entirely ignorant, uneducated, and bigoted comments: biologically I have the secondary sexual characteristics and a primary sexual characteristic of an adult human female; thus, making me a biological woman. Those are verifiable facts,” she said.

“I would, however, like to know, how, precisely have trans women caused families in Baldwin County to struggle to afford groceries, housing, insurance, and healthcare? Our roads are increasingly congested, teachers need support, and Alabama continues to refuse Medicaid expansion while rural hospitals struggle to survive. Did transgender people do that, because I’m pretty sure Republican policies did all that? Mr. Stadthagen says I’m a walking mental disorder. Being transgender is not a mental illness. The American Psychiatric Association has made that distinction clear. I have letters from mental health professionals stating that I am of sound mind. Does he?”

Osborne also called out Duggar, the Republican nominee for House District 96, who attended the event and misgendered Osborne. Duggar lists “protecting children from woke policies & defending parental rights” as one of her top campaign priorities.

“I find it curious and telling that she had an opportunity to say all those hateful comments to my face at a recent event but didn’t have the courage to attend and to say it to voters. I challenge her to identify any gender ideology policy I have proposed to be taught in schools. She can look for a long time and never find it. She’s a liar.”

Montgomery, who is challenging Republican Rep. Phillip Rigsby in House District 25, said in a Facebook post that she’s focusing on the issues Alabamians care about.

“I don’t know Stadthagen and he doesn’t know me – this is just plain prejudice,” she said.

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“They brought up my womanhood because they have failed at governing. Ask yourselves: if I hadn’t transitioned, would gas be cheaper? Would your utilities be cheaper? Would groceries be more affordable? Would your medical debt go away? Would your rent stop getting higher? No; so it’s just plain weird that Stadthagen and other State House Republicans are so obsessed with me. When I’m knocking doors and talking with voters, they don’t care that I’m trans, and that’s not what I’m focused on either.”

Richard White Jr., chair of the Alabama Democratic Party’s LGBTQ+ caucus, also defended them in a letter posted on Facebook, reaffirming his support for the candidates.

“I am writing this because silence in the face of relentless partisan attacks is no longer an option,” White said.

“As a Democrat, I am calling on our party and our allies to stand tall, reject these divisive tactics, and fully support Allison Montgomery and Terri Osborne. Let’s make sure our Alabama Democratic Party is defined by what we build, not by what they tear down.”

Alabama has seen a growing wave of anti-trans legislation and sentiment. As The Advocate reported in September, the Alabama Public Library Service board adopted strict guidelines requiring public libraries to limit young people’s access to books containing material related to gender identity or transgender people.

In July, the University of Alabama system quietly erased explicit protections for LGBTQ+ people from its nondiscrimination policy.

Alabama also passed HB 322 in 2022, which requires people to use multioccupancy restrooms and changing areas in public K-12 schools according to the sex listed on their original birth certificates. The law also contains “don’t say gay” provisions restricting classroom discussion and instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through fifth grade under state standards for age and developmental appropriateness.