Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is facing questions after fundraising with a "female-to-male" top surgeon who previously operated on minors shortly after saying that he does not support sex-change surgeries for children.Talarico, a progressive Democrat, state lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian, is running a highly competitive race to flip a Texas Senate seat for the first time in decades.He is opposing Republican state attorney general Ken Paxton.
The seat is critical to both parties’ hopes of holding a Senate majority this next session.During an appearance on the "Unity Over Division" podcast on June 8, Talarico responded to criticisms that he supports gender transition for minors by stating, "I oppose gender reassignment surgeries for minors."Days later, he participated in an Austin "Pride for Talarico" fundraiser that featured Dr.Dustin Reid, a female-to-male breast surgeon who confirmed with Fox News Digital that he previously operated on minors in "rare" cases prior to Texas banning the practice.
He said that he no longer performs these surgeries in line with Texas law.SENATE HOPEFUL SAYS TEXAS HOME TO THE 'BEST DRAG QUEENS IN THE NATION' IN RESURFACED COMMENTSLeft: Supporters of transngender rights rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol ahead of an advocacy day of meetings with state representatives on March 20, 2023.Right: Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico.
(Julia Robinson for The Washington Post via Getty; Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images)Speaking with Fox News Digital over the phone, Reid confirmed his participation in the event in support of Talarico.He said that "in the past, on a case-by-case basis, I would do that [female-to-male surgeries on minors] but not since they made it illegal in Texas."His practice’s website currently states he "does follow the WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) standards for patients under the age of 18."Reid clarified that, in line with WPATH's guidelines, h...