JD Vance has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, altering his views on racism, Donald Trump, and transgender rights. According to Sofia Nelson, a former classmate and close friend, Vance's earlier positions were notably different. At one point, Vance supported Nelson’s transition and expressed criticism of the candidate he now supports. Messages between Nelson and Vance, shared with the New York Times, illustrate his shift from supporting Nelson’s identity to backing anti-transgender legislation. A 2016 exchange includes Vance apologizing to Nelson for misidentifying her as a lesbian in his book Hillbilly Elegy. Nelson, who met Vance at Yale, recalled that he had once been supportive of their transition. They shared a memory of Vance bringing them home-baked treats as a recovery gift shortly after their top surgery. Messages also show that Vance attended San Francisco Pride in 2015. Vance and Nelson's friendship ended in 2021 after Vance supported a bill in Arizona banning gender-affirming care for youth. When Nelson questioned him about it, Vance responded, “I think the trans thing with kids is so unstudied that it amounts to a form of experimentation.” When Nelson pointed out the robust medical consensus showing how this care saves lives, Vance dismissed them. What went wrong, Vance? #Queer Up Politics