During an interview aired on Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) argued that the issue of biological men in women’s sports is Republicans focusing “something that has very little impact.” And also “we ought to be protecting trans kids” and “depression and other mental health challenges are following these kids because of the way they’re being treated in some communities.”
Pritzker said, “Well, look, we believe that people have a right to live the life that they’re born to, the life that they want to. And, in Illinois, anyway, we protect LGBTQ+ rights, we protect trans kids. Remember, in Illinois, trans athletes — we, literally, in high school, have three trans athletes. We have a 133,000 athletes in total in our high schools, and three of them are trans. Why is the Republican Party focusing on this issue? Why have they passed laws in, I think, 27 states that have restricted or banned, outright, trans kids being athletes in schools? It seems to me like they’re just — again, they’re trying to foment on an issue that, frankly, I think we ought to be talking about bigger things. I know in the state of Illinois, we have much bigger challenges, as they do all across the country, with things like they’ve cut SNAP benefits, they’ve cut Medicaid, they’ve made life harder for people, raised prices. These are all things that we’re having to deal with in our states, and they’re trying to distract with something that has very little impact.”
Host Kaitlan Collins then asked, “But Republicans are using it, in political campaigns, political messaging. On the issue itself, do you think the court was right?”
Pritzker answered, “I think that we ought to be protecting trans kids. That’s what I think.”
Collins followed up, “So you think they were wrong?”
Pritzker responded, “I can tell you this, that those trans kids, the — I’m sure you’ve seen the statistics that depression and other mental health challenges are following these kids because of the way they’re being treated in some communities. We ought to be sympathizing with the parents, we ought to be trying to help them help their children, and not putting barriers in the way of children just being kids.”
He added, “I think that — first of all, this is a decision that gets made by a family, that’s a decision that’s been handled by schools and school districts for a number of years now. I think we ought to let it happen at the local level, as it has been. The three in Illinois have been just fine.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
