Yes. The disconnect there was 'people don't care, therefore they don't care what we do on the issue'.
The reality looks closer to 'people don't care, therefore they see us as being ridiculously out of touch for our actions on the issue'.
But I think more than that, it's not that the majority of people care so much about, say, men going to women's prisons (I find it utterly galling, but you'll see it often enough on here, people shrug about that kind of injustice as it doesn't directly affect them).
But if you are claiming that men can become women, you are undermining the most basic trust that voters require in order to take you seriously.
You may as well campaign on a flat earth basis as on a TWAW basis.
In fact, it's worse, because while the earth looks roughly flat to most people, most people are very, very aware that men are not women.
It's an astonishing attempt to upend the most basic elements of reality and understanding. I'm not sure if it's some kind of brainwarp or just actual group chutzpah in successfully undermining 'norms', or what. But somehow, chunks of the populace were convinced for a fairly sustained period of time that it was good, kind, rational and reasonable to chant 'men are women' repeatedly, over and over, and attack anyone who didn't agree.
I suppose that's the point - it's a faith based position, dependent on obedience and willingness to state the absurd.