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 fake

While 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 on trans issues

While many posters suggested Talarico’s position on the issue was likely tactical, Sternbach said such maneuvering only opens the opportunity for right-wing politicians to further attack trans rights. “First, it’s Democrats needing to disavow trans women in sports to get elected, next it’ll be agreeing to ban access to HRT to get elected,” Sternbach posted. “We’ve seen how this plays out.”

But notably, many of the right-wing groups opposing trans athletes’ ability to play in sports based on their gender identity also pounced on Talarico’s comments, criticizing the Democrat.

“It’s the new way to obscure their position because now they are redefining ‘fair and safe,’” posted Kim Chasby Jones, co-founder of the anti-trans Independent Council on Women's Sports. “You have to ask more direct questions.”

Related: The rainbow Pride pin James Talarico encouraged me to wear

And Talarico’s Republican opponent, Ken Paxton, who spoke at the Republican National Midterm Convention in Texas the same day as the remarks, has previously criticized Talarico for flip-flopping on trans rights only as he runs for Senate in the Lone Star State.

“James Talarico voted against TWO bills that would have prevented men from playing in women’s sports,” Paxton posted following Talarico’s interview regarding girls sports. “He also called it a ‘far-right conspiracy theory.’ This is just the latest episode in James Talarico’s long saga of lies and flip-flops.”

Talarico as a state lawmaker also voted against legislation that banned “procedures and treatments for gender transitioning” for children in 2023. His campaign previous defended that vote against SB 14, saying the legislation could also affect “Texas children suffering from rare genetic diseases that have nothing to do with being transgender."