James Talarico says “I oppose trans athletes playing in girls’ sports”

[Jessica_Rose ✅]

James Talarico says "I oppose trans athletes playing in girls' sports" in Fox News interview

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/09/james-talarico-says-i-oppose-trans-athletes-playing-in-girls-sports-in-fox-news-interview/ 🔗

Daniel Villarreal (10 Sep 2026)

Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D), who's running for the US Senate, said in a Fox News interview aired on Wednesday evening, "I oppose trans athletes playing in girls' sports if it endangers safety or fairness."

Talarico has previously voted against an anti-trans sports bill, said that local sports and school district officials should decide trans sports policies, and accused anti-trans politicians of trying to "score political points off the backs of a vulnerable community" while ignoring billionaires who are "destroying this country."

When asked about his 2021 Texas Senate vote against a state bill to ban trans youth from competing in K-12 girls' sports as well as college and university women's sports teams, he told Fox News, "I supported amendments that would have given the power to make these decisions to local communities — like conservatives used to believe."

"I think that the people closest to these problems are best equipped to make decisions for themselves, not politicians in Austin, not politicians in Washington. I trust local officials and local communities to make these decisions, and that's what I voted for," he said, adding, "As a lawmaker, my job is to try to kind of sift through everything the bill does. And sometimes there's stuff that is really harmful, and I have no choice but to oppose the bill as a whole."
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@Sarah B

[Laura Squirrel]

And I should vote because?

Ya know, I'm really sick of this crap. All of these people the Dems trot out, and they suck. I can hear the people say, "Here we go. Another single issue voter". Well, when that issue is based around my very existence, that's a bit of an issue.

[Lori Dee ✅]

I still say there should be a new law that requires every ballot to contain the following option:

None of the Above.

If None of the Above receives a majority vote, everyone on that ballot becomes ineligible, and the parties need to submit new candidates.

At first, elections will take a very long time to decide. But in the end, parties will learn to provide better-quality candidates. Or at least one whose skeletons are well hidden in the closet.

[Jillian-TG]

And I should vote because?

Ya know, I'm really sick of this crap. All of these people the Dems trot out, and they suck. I can hear the people say, "Here we go. Another single issue voter". Well, when that issue is based around my very existence, that's a bit of an issue.

In his defence he did include an important qualifier which was ..."if it endangers safety or fairness" and then he said those assessments and decisions should be made at a local level.

I don't know too much about Texas politics but I think he's trying to walk a very fine line or risk losing the election. I totally get why we within the trans community would want him to be bolder and stand up for trans rights but it's likely to be a guaranteed loss in Texas. The other guy running against him looks to be as bad as or worse than Trump. Talerico is about as close to decent as you are going to get in politics while still connecting with the mainstream public.

Just my 2 cents.

[Devlyn ✅]

Also, during the interview he was asked about saying there were six sexes in 2021. He said he was wrong about that, there were two sexes and various intersex variables...then he added "The GOP wants to talk about that, but they don't want to talk about $6 diesel"

[Laura Squirrel]

In his defence he did include an important qualifier which was ..."if it endangers safety or fairness" and then he said those assessments and decisions should be made at a local level.

I don't know too much about Texas politics but I think he's trying to walk a very fine line or risk losing the election. I totally get why we within the trans community would want him to be bolder and stand up for trans rights but it's likely to be a guaranteed loss in Texas. The other guy running against him looks to be as bad as or worse than Trump. Talerico is about as close to decent as you are going to get in politics while still connecting with the mainstream public.

Just my 2 cents.

That's a BS excuse on his part, yo.