Former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ), a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the government should not be involved in the decisions of children and their parents regarding gender issues.
Anchor Jake Tapper asked, “Speaking of states handling an issue, Republican governors have been banning hormone blockers for transgender people under 18 years. They’re banning those only as trans health procedures. They can still do them for other purposes, hormone blockers. As governor of New Jersey, you signed into law some legal protections for trans people, including students. What do you make of your fellow Republican governors and candidates going in the opposite direction?”
Christie said, “What I believe we should be focused on most importantly in these issues is making sure that there is parental involvement at every step along the way. I don’t think that the government should ever be stepping into the place of the parents in helping to move their children through a process where those children are confused or concerned about their gender.”
He added, “And I just would say that parents are the people who are best positioned to make these judgments. So what I would like to make sure each state does is require that parents be involved in these decisions. You know, we’re talking about students. I assume you mean people under the age of 18, Jake. And the fact is that folks who are under the age of 18 should have parental support and guidance and love as they make all of the key decisions of their life, and this should not be one that’s excluded by the government in any way.”
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