Chris Christie (R-N.J.) has never been a viable contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. He certainly knows this and seems far more motivated to appear on stage with Donald Trump so he can really show him how angry he is that he never gave him a cabinet position. But if you thought Christie’s irrelevancy in the 2024 GOP primary couldn’t get any worse, well, he just proved you wrong.
During his recent appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, Christie said that children should be allowed access to transgender procedures if a parent consents.
“Many Republican governors across the country have been banning hormone therapy and puberty blockers for transgender people under 18 years old. As governor of New Jersey, you signed into law some legal protections for trans people, including students. What do you make of your fellow Republican governors and candidates going in the opposite direction?” Jake Tapper asked Christie.
“Jake, what I believe we should be focused on most importantly in these issues, is making sure there’s parental involvement every step along the way,” Christie replied. “I don’t think that the government should ever be stepping into the place of the parents in helping to move their children through a process where those children are confused or concerned about their gender. And I just would say the parents are the people who are best positioned to make these judgments. And so what I’d like to make sure each state does is require that parents be involved in these decisions.”
Related: Texas Becomes Latest State to Protect Kids From the Transgender Industry
More than a dozen states have banned transgender procedures on minors, and several more have pending legislation. But even states that allow for such procedures require consent from at least one parent, which means that Christie’s position is essentially meaningless — save for the fact that it contrasts with the rest of the Republicans running for president. They’ve all taken the position of protecting children from receiving procedures they are not mature enough to understand the consequences of, even if their parents support the move.
There have been numerous reports of parents being emotionally blackmailed into consenting to have such procedures performed on their children, by being asked questions like “Would you rather have a living son or a dead daughter?” This is despite the fact that there is no evidence that undergoing such procedures has any medical benefits or decreases the risk of suicide. Studies also show that as many as 90% of young people who “identify” as transgender but are not encouraged to transition (socially or medically) will no longer identify as such upon reaching adulthood.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member