Gov. Janet Mills has consistently stood up for the rights of Maine’s transgender students in the face of the White House’s executive order banning transgender women from women’s sports. After being confronted, and threatened, on the issue in person by President Trump at a National Governors Association meeting recently, Mills told him that she would “see you in court” in a demonstration of principle over political expediency. The scene drew national attention, and support from trans Americans across the country.

But the cover of this newspaper’s opinion section the following Sunday showed little appreciation for her principled (and politically unpopular) defense (“What Gov. Mills can truly do to help trans Mainers,” March 2). The author could not support Mills’ efforts on behalf of Maine’s transgender students, they insist, because her progressive credentials on other unrelated issues were not sufficiently pure. Gov. Mills is blamed for the nationwide housing crisis, for example, and the author disapproves of her vetoes of several bills from years past, including those exempting Wabanaki tribes from state laws and leaving open Maine’s only youth prison.

The author won’t support Gov. Mills’ defense of transgender rights because they want “egg and gas prices to be low, wages to be high, housing and health care for all, and to be accepted by our neighbors.” It sure would be impressive if Gov. Mills could manage to do all that by herself. But if Maine’s transgender voters are going to be so hard to please, I hope we won’t be surprised if elected politicians stop sticking their necks out to try.

John Stanley
Yarmouth