A newly resurfaced video clip from 2019 shows Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico telling a state legislative committee that parents who decline to affirm their children’s gender identity could reasonably be described as “abusive.”
“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,” Talarico said during the hearing.
The comments came as lawmakers debated HB 1910, a bill meant to bar Texas family courts from treating a parent’s refusal to affirm a child’s gender identity as evidence of abuse in custody disputes. The bill’s text stated that courts “may not consider evidence regarding whether the party demonstrates a history or pattern of acknowledging or declining to acknowledge the child’s gender identity or expression” when deciding custody arrangements.
Talarico opposed the measure at the time, telling the committee: “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.” He went further, saying: “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.”
That version of HB 1910 died in committee, but a stronger version passed the Texas House in May 2025 and was signed into law. Talarico was one of 59 lawmakers who voted against it. He did, however, support a separate amendment — described by its author as clarifying that “rejecting a child’s gender identity or sexual orientation is abuse” and “should be treated as such under Texas law” — as well as an amendment to sunset the law in 2030.
The clip is the latest in a string of past statements that critics say undercut Talarico’s current effort to present himself as a moderate on gender, policing and border security issues as he campaigns for Senate in a state that has favored Republicans in recent elections.
Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft responded sharply, saying in a statement to Fox News Digital: “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.”
Asked about the resurfaced remarks, the Talarico campaign defended his broader record on parental rights. “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 the campaign.
