Texas Senate hopeful Talarico balances LGBT backing with opposition to child gender surgeries

Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico in Texas is distancing himself from gender-affirming care for minors after previously aligning with the Human Rights Campaign, which has funded his campaign, endorsed him and provided communications assistance. While the HRC advocates such care, Talarico now states he does not support sex-change surgeries for children, a position Republicans such as Ken Paxton are exploiting in television ads that cite his earlier remarks about a nonbinary God and multiple genders.

Recent polls indicate a majority of Texans favor prohibiting transgender hormone treatments and surgeries for youths, and Talarico holds a slight lead over Paxton. The HRC’s PAC promises to mobilize millions of voters and has labeled Talarico a priority candidate, while critics like Dr. Kurt Miceli and former hospital staffer Dr. Eithan Haim accuse the group of pushing unproven medical interventions. The dispute highlights the broader clash in Texas over transgender legislation and election strategy.