Note to GOP Candidates: The Right Transgender Policy Is Obvious

Five years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that medical and surgical alterations to the sex characteristics of minors would be a major issue at a Republican presidential debate. Yet on Wednesday night, at the fourth GOP primary debate, four of the remaining candidates argued among themselves about how far the state should go in intervening to protect children from these harms.

In the United States, 5 percent of people under 30 identify as transgender or nonbinary; compare that with 0.3 percent of Americans over 50. I’ve written before about why I think social contagion is the most convincing explanation of this discrepancy. But whatever the reason, many of these young people are being exposed to life-altering medical and surgical treatments before they can legally drive, vote, get a tattoo, or buy a gun or alcohol. If we can impose these laws to protect children from their immature selves, why not a ban on trans drugs and surgeries as well?

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Madeleine Kearns

Madeleine Kearns is a former staff writer at National Review.

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Five years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that medical and surgical alterations to the sex characteristics of minors would be a major issue at a Republican presidential debate. Yet on Wednesday night, at the fourth GOP primary debate, four of the remaining candidates argued among themselves about how far the state should go in intervening to protect children from these harms.

In the United States, 5 percent of people under 30 identify as transgender or nonbinary; compare that with 0.3 percent of Americans over 50. I’ve written before about why I think social contagion is the most convincing explanation of this discrepancy. But whatever the reason, many of these young people are being exposed to life-altering medical and surgical treatments before they can legally drive, vote, get a tattoo, or buy a gun or alcohol. If we can impose these laws to protect children from their immature selves, why not a ban on trans drugs and surgeries as well?