Democratic Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego says local institutions, such as school boards, should get to decide when "there should be a separation” between transgender children and their peers in certain sports based on their biology.
In an interview with a conservative online magazine called The Dispatch, which speculated about the possibility of Gallego running for president, he said parents are justified in being worried about fair competition regarding trans athletes.
Gallego said transgender children should be asked to find something else to do even though they should be told they are still a part of the community.
“Hey, listen, we love you. We want you to be part of our community, but this is just the one place you can’t play, and let’s find other activities for you to be involved,” Gallego suggested telling transgender children in his interview.
In 2022, Gallego posted a response on social media to a 12 News story about two bills he called “anti-trans." One banned gender affirming surgery, and the other banned trans kids from sports of the opposite sex.
“This Transgender Day of Visibility unfortunately comes at a time when an onslaught of anti-trans state laws–including in Arizona–are being enacted in GOP-led legislatures. These hateful laws put trans kids' lives at risk and must be stopped. #TransDayOfVisibility” Gallego wrote at the time.
Since he was sworn in as a senator this year, Gallego has turned heads for supporting of more center and right-wing causes - especially on immigration and transgender issues, which polling shows are two of the strongest points for Republicans.
Gallego did not respond to a request for comment on the interview and his stance.
As far as running for president, Gallego hasn’t confirmed or denied that it’s on his radar.
In that same interview with The Dispatch, Gallego referred to Trump's border activities as a “victory.”
On the House floor in 2017, Gallego criticized “Trump’s stupid, dumb border wall,” but in May he released a border plan which calls for the government to “strategically build border barriers. Construct border barriers in strategic locations with an eye towards operational effectiveness and cost efficiency to prevent illegal crossings.”
In January, Gallego sponsored the Laken Riley Act, which makes it easier to deport immigrants charged with crimes, even if they aren’t convicted.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been updated to further contextualize Sen. Gallego's comments.
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