GOP 2024 presidential candidate and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie this week said that parents, and not the government, should be the ones with say about providing medical care for transgender children.
"What I believe we should be focused on, most importantly, in these issues, is making sure there is parental involvement at every step along the way," Christie said during a televised interview Sunday on CNN’s "State of the Union." "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 that parents are the people who are best positioned to make these judgments."
Host Jake Tapper pointed out that while Christie was governor in 2017, he had signed legislation in New Jersey protecting transgender individuals, including students.
NBC News reported in July 2017 that the bill was passed by the Democratic controlled legislature to ensure transgender students could have access to the restroom of their choice.
"These guidelines are needed to ensure that transgender students can safely be themselves without fear of being persecuted, and can help promote a culture of understanding and acceptance that will hopefully influence how students treat each other in and outside of school," NBC reported Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, one of the Democratic sponsors of the measure, as saying at the time.
Christie’s position is at odds with fellow GOP 2024 candidates as well as several states that are passing laws prohibiting medications and medical procedures, as well as allowing transgender women to compete against biological women in sports.
Former President Donald Trump, who leads the GOP field, said that he will pass federal legislation that recognizes just two genders, male and female, The Hill reported in March.
Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation in his state in May that places restrictions on transgender medical care for children, and requires adults to sign a consent form, the Associated Press reported at the time.
According to the report, Florida has the second highest number of trans individuals in the country, and is one of 19 states that have passed legislation either banning or restricting gender-transitioning medical care.
Businessman and 2024 GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he would sign a federal bill banning gender-transitioning medical care for minors.
"The last time I was here in New Hampshire, I met two young women, both of whom when they were teenagers, one of them was 13 years old, two young women went through double mastectomies, cut off both of their breasts," Ramaswamy told New Hampshire television station WMUR 9 in May. "One of them had a hysterectomy, removing her uterus. Both of them had puberty blockers that effectively mean they will never be the same again, and the sad part is, Adam, they regret it."
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