Newsom represents the corporatist rightward-leaning path that Democrats took to get to this exact spot. It has led here! The people who are advising against it are advocating against a losing strategy and for a much better path, whether you take it morally, strategically, or rhetorically.

If you'd rather bigots hold trans people's lives hostage instead of trans people hold the comfort of bigots hostage, well OK, that's your calculus, you get to make your choices in democracy—but own your choice. Admit it. Stand on your business. Go curry the favor of bigots and own the results.

When "I won't vote for somebody who doesn't support trans people" is considered a hostage taking purity test

but "I won't vote for somebody who DOES support trans people" is NOT considered a hostage-taking purity test

then we aren't against hostage taking, we're just choosing our preferred hostage

“A Burger Reich, if you can keep it” — Benjamin Franklin