James Talarico, a Democratic candidate vying for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas, has sparked controversy with past remarks labeling parents who do not acknowledge their child’s gender identity as potentially engaging in “abusive” behavior. In a Texas Legislature committee hearing in 2019, Talarico stated, “I think there are some folks that would think that if you deny your child’s gender identity, that’s incredibly harmful. And whether or not we label it with the term abuse, it’s abusive for sure.”
These resurfaced comments are challenging Talarico’s attempt to cast himself as a moderate, particularly on issues like gender, policing, and border security, as he tries to appeal to voters in a largely Republican state.
During his campaign, Talarico has been criticized for his stance on HB 1910, a piece of legislation aimed at ensuring that parents who refuse to affirm their child’s gender identity are not deemed guilty of child abuse in custody cases. The bill’s text specifies that courts should not consider a parent’s history of acknowledging or declining to acknowledge their child’s gender identity when deciding child custody.
Talarico opposed the bill, voicing concerns that dismissing the lack of acknowledgment as non-abusive could harm vulnerable children. “My concern is ruling it out as not being abuse, I think, is dangerous and could certainly harm some of our most vulnerable kids in the state,” Talarico remarked during the legislative session.
“Some of us I think really do consider this abusive behavior… an unwillingness to identify, acknowledge a child’s gender identity. We consider that abusive to the child, abusive and destructive,” Talarico said.
Republicans have criticized Talarico’s position. Zach Kraft, spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, commented, “Only perverts and pedophiles think about what is in little kids’ pants as much as James Talafreako. He is a truly sick individual for dedicating his life to pushing sex changes on other people’s kids.”
Although the initial version of the bill did not pass, a later, stricter version was approved by the Texas House in May 2025 and became law. Talarico opposed this version as well, being one of 59 to vote against it. He supported an amendment to end the law in 2030 and another amendment declaring that “rejecting a child’s gender identity or sexual orientation is abuse” according to Texas law.
Talarico’s campaign asserts that he respects and supports parental decisions regarding their children. “James believes parents have the most important say in decisions about their children, which is why he sponsored a bill to protect parental rights and ensure parents are responsible for the upbringing of their own kids. While James has fought for Texas parents and families, Ken Paxton has endangered them by allowing pedophiles back on our streets,” said JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico, in a statement.
Leo Briceno reports on politics for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He previously worked with World Magazine.
Leave a Reply