Transgender chair of RI Women’s Caucus speaks out after congressional candidate refuses to attend forum

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Democratic candidate for the 1st Congressional District Allen Waters announced Tuesday he will not be attending the Rhode Island Democratic Women’s Caucus because it will be moderated by Chair Rev. Dr. Donnie Anderson, a transgender woman and religious leader.

Waters expressed his stance on transgender rights by refusing to attend the forum next month, saying he “does not recognize Anderson, a biological male, as a woman in the democratic party.”

“As a dedicated father of two beloved, black teenage daughters, I do not want biological males to compete with them as women in traditional biological female spaces,” he said.

Anderson told ABC 6 News she was disappointed, and asked Waters to recant his statement, which she says is damaging to transgender and nonbinary youth in Rhode Island.

“Well, unfortunately there is a very well-financed movement in the United States pushing back on the transgender community,” Anderson said.

Rev. Dr. Donnie Anderson, chair of the Rhode Island Democratic Women’s Caucus, speaks out after a 1st Congressional District candidate announced he will not attend an upcoming forum because she is transgender. (WLNE)

“What Waters was doing was mimicking the line of these radical right wing philosophies about transgender and displaying an incredible amount of ignorance,” she continued.

Anderson is calling on Waters to apologize to the transgender community.

“Because if one does any study at all, looks at what the medical profession is saying, and looks at what the mental health profession is saying, they acknowledge and understand that those of us who are transgender are very real,” Anderson said.

Anderson questioned Waters’ political stance since the Democratic party has shown strong support for the transgender community.

“What was surprising to me is that anyone who wears the label ‘Democrat’ would be so openly anti-trans,” Anderson told ABC 6.

Waters previously ran as a Republican against Representative David Cicilline in 2022. He also ran against Sen. Jack Reed for his Senate seat in 2020.

Anderson is now asking Waters to recant his statement and “accept responsibility for the damage it has already done and to apologize to the transgender community.