James Talarico walks back trans athlete position, citing ‘safety’ and ‘fairness’

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico is qualifying his support for transgender athletes. The Democrat appeared on Fox News on Wednesday, saying he “would oppose trans athletes playing in girls sports if it endangers safety or fairness.”“Every sport has to be safe and fair,” Talarico said. “As a former public school teacher, I care a lot about our student athletes. I care a lot about our students.”The comments on sports mark a reversal for his previous positions on transgender participation in athletics. As a member of the Texas House of Representatives in 2021, he opposed HB 4042, a bill that sought to restrict participation in sports based on gender assigned at birth.“What part of your love of freedom moves you to ask the government to police people's private parts?" he said in committee.“Some things are more important than perfectly fair competition in sports,” he said in a speech on the bill, according to the Austin American-Statesman.Related: Ken Paxton’s new anti-trans attack on James Talarico is literally fakeWhile that bill died in committee, the Texas state legislature later passed a similar bill signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.The change in rhetoric sparked immediate reaction on the left and right, with many LGBTQ+ advocates expressing anger at the apparent equivocation. The statements came weeks after Talarico told a podcast he opposed gender-affirming surgeries for minors.June Sternbach, a social media influencer and podcaster fighting disinformation about transgender people online, posted a viral comment criticizing Talarico for his change in stance.“Well, it turns out give Democrats a choice of ‘capitulate to fascism’ or ‘support minority groups’ they’ll always end up capitulating to fascism,” Sternbach posted on X. “A shame they don’t stand with the trans community, can’t blame trans people that can’t bring themselves to support Democrats.”Related: Ken Paxton accuses James Talarico of flip-flopping