Democrat Lawmaker Switches Party to Become Republican
newsweek.comRepublican after being "betrayed" by a pro-transgender "progressive abyss."Texas Representative Shawn Thierry, who will soon be exiting state government after losing to Democratic primary challenger Lauren Ashley Simmons in May, cited her anti-LGBTQ+ stance as a key reason for leaving what she called a "radicalized" Democratic Party in a lengthy statement on Friday.Thierry specifically cited Democratic support for transgender rights and healthcare, a supposed "dismantling" of sex-based Title IX protections and what she called "the rights of biological women" as her reasons for becoming a Republican."The Democratic Party has veered so far left, so deep into the progressive abyss, that it now champions policies that I cannot, in good conscience, support policies like promoting sex changes for children during a vulnerable stage of their lives, and dismantling Title IX protections for women in sports," Thierry wrote."Mothers around our country from all backgrounds, races, and communities understand that it's our sacred duty to preserve the innocence of our children, protect them from being sexualized, and sterilized," she added. "To respect universal truths, and to uphold the rights of biological women as defined by science, nature, and common sense."In an email sent to Newsweek, Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said that his party was "elated that Shawn Thierry has found her true community—the hateful arms of the Republican Party of Texas.""Shawn Thierry compromised her Democratic values, betraying the constituents of House District 146, and in response, they rightfully fired her," Hinojosa said."We hope that Switch-Up Shawn finds solace within a party that demonizes Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ communities given her long recorded history of berating these very communities in her district, staff office and on the Texas House floor," he added.Thierry was one of three Democrats to back a Republican bill banning transition-related healthcare for transgender.
