WATCH • EQUALITY & CIVIL RIGHTS

Dignity Is Not a Distraction: David Jolly on Byron Donalds' Attacks on Transgender Floridians

By David Jolly Published: 2026-09-08 Last updated: 2026-09-08

Key moments

0:48

"You don't have to fully understand someone else's journey to know that everyone deserves respect, dignity, and grace."

1:19

"They take the genuine uncertainty of many Floridians and they turn it into fear and judgment, directed at our fellow Floridians. That's wrong. It's cowardly and it's ugly."

4:04

"Punching at the trans community doesn't lower cost, improve your life, or solve any of our current problems. It just delays solutions."

Context

Byron Donalds, running for governor, has made attacks on transgender Floridians a centerpiece of his campaign. David Jolly names this as a distraction from the affordability crisis, the struggling economy, and the underfunded schools Floridians are actually worried about.

What is said

Jolly opens by listing the real concerns: housing, health care, food, gas, schools, data centers. He calls Donalds' attacks ugly and divisive. His position: everyone deserves respect and constitutional rights; he will not change current law on women's sports but wants decency restored; government should stay out of families' medical decisions; attacking the trans community solves nothing.

Transcript

Verified transcript of the video above.

0:00 Hey folks, David Jolly running for Florida Governor. We're in the midst of a struggling economy where people across Florida are worried about the cost of housing, health care, food, and gas. We're worried about whether our schools are sufficiently funded, and we want to keep data centers out of our neighborhoods.

0:17 My opponent, Byron Donalds, doesn't have any answers for these concerns, so he's reaching back to the ugly cultural attacks on the transgender community, an issue impacting less than 1% of our state.

0:33 I'm running for governor because I know you worry about the cost of living, because you want the economy to work for everyone, and you need government to do a little better to improve our lives. But let me address the ugly, divisive attacks of Byron Donalds, someone also asking to lead our state.

0:48 First, I understand this is an issue that's hard for many people to understand. We should be honest about that. But you don't have to fully understand someone else's journey to know that everyone deserves respect, dignity, and grace.

1:04 And yes, everybody deserves to have their basic constitutional rights protected. You see, I think there's a lot of bad faith in our politics right now in how politicians like Byron Donalds talk about the transgender community.

1:19 They take the genuine uncertainty of many Floridians and they turn it into fear and judgment, directed at our fellow Floridians. That's wrong. It's cowardly and it's ugly.

1:36 I also know that for many people, this confronts the teachings of one's faith or tradition, or simply challenges your own deeply held views. So let's find the balance that works.

1:50 You see, my politics are rooted in less government libertarianism, my personal convictions in the teachings of my Christian faith, and my constitutional understanding and the knowledge that we must always be striving for liberty. And it leads me to believe this. First, I don't think the governor needs to regulate sports leagues, but the law in Florida has been passed and we'll let the court settle the constitutional questions from here.

2:08 As the father of a young girl, I don't think we need biological men in competitive women's sports, whether that's high school, college, or scholarship opportunities.

2:24 But I also know if a neighborhood youth league wants to accommodate co-ed leagues, the parents shouldn't be restricted by the governor from deciding what's right for the children in their community. I don't intend to change the current law prohibiting men and women's sports, but I do hope to restore decency in how we approach it.

2:39 Second, as governor, I don't think I should have any say in your or your family's medical decisions, nor should Byron Donalds. Government should stay out of your life, out of your doctor's office, and out of your bedroom.

2:56 You don't have to understand one's medical journey or even agree with it to know that everyone deserves to make decisions without the influence or interference of government. Folks, let's be honest.

3:10 If you sit with a transgender American or a parent or grandparent, you quickly understand that for many, this is a journey they have not asked to be on. But the ability to seek care and counsel is what allows them the knowledge, understanding, and dignity that each one of us deserve to make our own decisions without interference from politicians. It is what each one of us deserve.

3:30 We are a nation founded in the pursuit of liberty and we are a state that should extend dignity to every last one of our neighbors, regardless of the color of your skin, where you were born, who you love, who you worship, how you identify, whatever your abilities, disabilities, beliefs, or walk of life.

3:48 Let's take this opportunity to pledge our respect to each other, to trust each other, and to believe in each other, to believe in better. Because despite the politicians who work hard every day to divide us, to demonize us, to put us each against each other, the bottom line is this.

4:04 Everyone wants to be able to afford their home or their rent, get health care, have a quality education for their kid, know that the water they drink and the air they breathe is clean, and their community is safe.

4:21 Punching at the trans community doesn't lower cost, improve your life, or solve any of our current problems. It just delays solutions. My job as your next governor is not to be distracted from the task before us, but to deliver results. That's my pledge to you.

Related questions

Why does David Jolly call cultural attacks a distraction?

Because they do not solve the problems Floridians are facing. At 0:17 in the video, Jolly names the pattern: his opponent has no answers for housing, health care, food, gas, or underfunded schools, so he reaches for attacks on a community that is less than one percent of the state. At 4:04, Jolly returns to what everyone actually wants: afford a home, get health care, quality schools, clean air and water, safe communities. Punching at the trans community does not lower costs or improve lives. It delays solutions.

What is David Jolly's position on transgender rights?

He believes everyone deserves respect, dignity, and constitutional rights. Government should stay out of families' medical decisions. At 1:48 in the video, he lays out his framework: less government libertarianism, personal Christian faith, and a constitutional commitment to liberty. He does not intend to change Florida's current law on women's sports but wants decency restored in how the issue is approached. He believes neighborhood youth leagues should be decided by parents, not the governor.

What does Jolly say about people who find this issue hard to understand?

At 0:48, he acknowledges it directly: this is an issue that is hard for many people to understand, and we should be honest about that. But you don't have to fully understand someone else's journey to know that everyone deserves respect, dignity, and grace. At 1:36, he recognizes that this confronts the teachings of some faiths or challenges deeply held views. His call is to find the balance that works.

What does Jolly mean by restoring decency?

At 1:19 in the video, he names what is happening now: politicians like Byron Donalds take the genuine uncertainty of many Floridians and turn it into fear and judgment directed at fellow Floridians. That is wrong, cowardly, and ugly. Restoring decency means addressing the issue without demonizing people, without using uncertainty as a weapon, and without treating a small community as a political target when real problems go unsolved.

Sources

David Jolly campaign video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnaIxWGR_4M · 2026-09-08

Everyone deserves dignity

Regardless of the color of your skin, where you were born, who you love, who you worship, how you identify, whatever your abilities, disabilities, beliefs, or walk of life.