Overview
- This week James Talarico told Fox News he would oppose transgender athletes in girls’ sports if it “risks safety or fairness” and said he would “absolutely” support a national ban on sex‑change surgeries for minors.
- He also publicly walked back a 2021 remark about there being “six genders,” saying he “missed the mark” and that there are two sexes with a small number of genetic variations.
- Talarico’s new statements contrast with his record as a Texas state representative, when he voted against several Republican bills that would have restricted transgender students’ participation in school sports and sought narrower amendments to SB14 in 2023.
- LGBTQ+ advocates and progressive supporters have criticized the comments as a harmful flip‑flop that could hurt trans youth, while conservative outlets and opponents have resurfaced his mosque visit after 9/11 and universalist theological remarks to question his faith and consistency.
- At the same time, a public group called Republicans for Talarico announced endorsements from current and former Republicans, a development that could broaden his appeal to swing voters as the statewide contest tightens and control of the Senate remains in play.