September 15, 2026
James Talarico: Parents who refuse to acknowledge child’s identity are ‘abusive’
‘The true abuse lies with the adults who force hormones and bodily mutilation surgeries on minors under the guise of “gender affirming care,”’ says AFA Action CEO Walker Wildmon
TUPELO, Miss. — Resurfaced comments from Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico expose his far-left ideologies, calling parents who refused to acknowledge their children’s gender identity as showing signs of “abusive” behavior. “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 in 2019 while speaking about HB 1910. This bill was designed to ensure that parents would not be considered guilty of child abuse in cases deciding custody if they refused to affirm their child’s gender identity.
According to Fox News, “Talarico’s resurfaced comments add to a growing pile of past remarks that cut against his efforts to paint himself as a moderate on issues like gender, policing and border security as he attempts to win over Texas, a historically Republican-leaning state.”
“No parent should ever be accused of being abusive for standing on the biological truth of their child’s gender and refusing to bow to dangerous ideologies,” said Walker Wildmon, CEO of AFA Action, the governmental affairs affiliate of the American Family Association. “One’s sex is not a changeable state; it is a biological and scientific truth. No amount of confusion, manipulation or medical procedure changes your God-given biology. To accuse parents of abuse simply for affirming that truth is absurd. The true abuse lies with the adults who force hormones and bodily mutilation surgeries on minors under the guise of ‘gender affirming care.’”
AFA Action is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical family values in society and government by shaping public policy through education and advocacy. The mission of AFA Action is to inform and mobilize individuals to strengthen the biblical foundations of America by persuading individuals with the truth of the Gospel, challenging the lost to repent, promoting societal values that are consistent with Scripture, restraining evil and exposing the works of darkness, motivating people to take a stand on cultural and moral issues, and encouraging Christians to bear witness to the world of the love of Jesus Christ. Find AFA Action Alerts here.
For more information on the American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or X.
For more information on AFA Action, visit www.afaaction.net or follow AFA Action on Facebook or X.
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To interview an AFA or AFA Action spokesperson, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
