I think we both might have misinterpreted each other a bit then. I didn't really mean a person who said the parties were the same, but someone who says they're extreme in opposite directions and I think you misunderstood it as the opposite, so I should have clarified a bit.
But regardless, sure, socially stuff like trans acceptance is generally improving, but that's not really a result of Democrats or their policies, that's a result of LGBTQ people fighting against hate and society at large becoming more accepting. No policy is responsible for increasing social acceptance, it's the other way around. Like another user said as well, it's only socially progressive policies that tend to recieve that treatment too, never big economic reforms. Plus that support only lasts as long as its thought politically favorable, as evidenced by the fact that in the wake of Kamala losing the DNC has been trying to push a narrative that it's because the party is too socially progressive. The alternative is the DNC admitting that neoliberalism is unpopular, so throwing a minority under the bus is much preferable.
Economically, things haven't been getting better for a long time. Food insecurity is extremely high right now, same with rent/housing, the climate is fucked, going go a hosptial can put you in debt for life, and corporations keep amassing more and more money and power. That process speeds up under Republicans sure, but it hasn't been improving much for anyone but the already wealthy under Dems either.
But either way, even if the Democrats wanted to change things the system makes that basically impossible. Trying to change a system only by participating in it is just kinda a flawed idea in the first place, but that's how liberalism does things.
Oh man, I can't wait for the inevitable crossover movie where all of our favorite cops come together to foil generic arab terrorist group #524's evil plot to murder every police officer in America. Just imagine, the rookie NCIS agent finally learns that waiting for a warrant is how the terrorists win just in time to figure out that China was the real bad guy behind the terrorism all along!