Dem Rep. Sorensen: Can’t Ban Kids from Gender Transitions, ‘Understanding’ as They’re Growing Doesn’t Happen at ‘Arbitrary 18-Year Mark’

On Wednesday’s broadcast of C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal,” Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL) argued that children can’t be denied access to hormones for gender transition “Because we have to understand that the understanding of a child as they’re growing into an adult, it doesn’t happen at this arbitrary 18-year mark.”

Host John McArdle asked, “The argument that opponents of this will make and they’ve made on this program is that there are other things we restrict from children until they turn 18. Why are we allowing them access to hormones and other things that could change their body? Why can’t we just say, you can make that decision when you become an adult?”

Sorensen answered, “Because we have to understand that the understanding of a child as they’re growing into an adult, it doesn’t happen at this arbitrary 18-year mark. It happens — as a youngster, I knew I was growing up different when I was probably eight, nine, or ten years old. And I did everything — I was going to a Catholic school, and I was trying everything I could to live my life differently. But there was no way for me to change. There’s no way for these trans kids to change. And so, the problem that we have today is if we don’t allow families to make the right decisions for their kids, then we’re going to have too many of these kids that give up on their life.”

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