Florida Democrat's Remark on Transgender Pregnancy Sparks Backlash

Nikki Fried, the chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, received backlash on social media after diverting a question about transgender pregnancy.

On Wednesday, the Florida Supreme Court heard arguments over a proposed constitutional amendment that would be put on the ballot in November. The amendment would increase abortion access for Floridians as it seeks to "limit government interference with abortion."

Fried was standing outside the state Supreme Court in Tallahassee when a reporter from conservative political news site Florida's Voice asked her: "Would you say that a transgender woman could give birth, or get an abortion?"

"I am not a doctor," Fried responded. "And I think this amendment speaks for itself. It is very clear on the language. Again, it goes back to medical professionals, not politicians, not elected officials telling people what to do with their bodies and interfering with medical decisions."

Newsweek reached out to Fried via direct message on X, formerly Twitter, for comment.

After Florida's Voice posted the clip of Fried on X, Citizen Free Press, an X account that typically shares conservative-leaning posts, wrote: "Nikki Fried plays dumb when asked about whether a biological man who identifies as a transgender woman can give birth or have an abortion."

Conservative BlazeTV host Steve Deace, posting on X under @SteveDeaceShow, replied to the video: "Demonic fools."

Christina Pushaw, a member of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis 2024 presidential campaign team, wrote on X as @ChristinaPushaw: "You don't need to be a doctor to answer this question. Only women can get pregnant."

After Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022, leaving abortion rights up to the states, several states have signed laws banning abortion. Some abortion bans are as early as six weeks, which is typically before many women know they are pregnant, according to Planned Parenthood.

Florida has a 15-week ban. Last year, DeSantis signed a six-week ban into law, but it has yet to take effect pending a ruling from the Florida Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the 15-week ban.

The proposed ballot measure says, in part: "No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's health care provider."

Fetus viability is the point in the pregnancy at which a fetus can survive outside the womb. It is usually between 23 and 24 weeks.

In another video posted by Florida's Voice, a reporter asked if Representative Fentrice Driskell, the leader of the Florida House Democrats, had a position on when human life begins. She replied: "No. I think that people can decide that for themselves. The crux of this hinges on viability, and that should be left to science and medical experts."

Driskell expanded on her answer in an emailed statement to Newsweek on Wednesday: "This is a complex question with deeply personal and spiritual elements. People have been struggling with this question since time immemorial. I do know that Floridians want access to abortions, and this ballot initiative takes the question out of the hands of the Florida Supreme Court and the Legislature and puts it back in the hands of women, their doctors, families, and faith, where it belongs."

Opponents argue that the proposed amendment is too broad and misleading.

"The people of Florida aren't stupid—they can figure things out," Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz, a DeSantis appointee, said. "People can see for themselves whether it's too broad or vague."

Florida Supreme Court Justice Renatha Francis, another DeSantis appointee, cautioned that the proposed amendment did not make it clear to Floridians that it was explicitly created to protect abortion rights.

"That is not being communicated to the voters in the way that the language of the ballot summary and the amendment is drafted now," Francis said. "And that is important."

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said the proposed amendment is an effort to "hoodwink" voters and pointed out the vagueness of the term viability.

"Others will understand 'viability' in the more traditional clinical sense—as referring to a pregnancy that, but for an abortion or other misfortune, will result in the child's live birth," Moody said in a brief arguing against the ballot measure.

"This ambiguity is no small interpretive quibble; 'viability' in the Roe/Casey sense occurs much later than in the traditional clinical sense. And polling shows that the stage of pregnancy at which abortion becomes illegal is crucial to whether voters approve of particular restrictions on abortion."

Moody was referring to two landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions on abortion rights: Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992).

Newsweek reached out to Moody's office via phone for comment.

The Florida Supreme Court has until April 1 to rule on the language of the proposed amendment.

Update: 2/7/24, 5:55 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.