Two of TV’s most prominent political pundits got into a heated war of words over whether anyone has the right to tell parents how to raise transgender kids.
Friday night’s broadcast of HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher featured the show’s openly anti-trans host locking horns with the liberal-leaning guest, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, over the hot-button topic.
Launching into the issue, Hayes said, “I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t had a moment across the political spectrum of some form of progressive communication that’s either left them bewildered or a little, like, ‘I don’t know about that.’”
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He added, “But I also think at the same time, there’s a message of what I would call, like, a common sense patriotic pluralism.”
Maher appeared to concur with a cautious “yeah,” but that was about as far as their agreement extended.
Hayes then went on, “It is a majority message, which is, like, if some father and mother have health care for their kid lined up who is trans, just stay the f--- out of their business! Like, and let them make that decision. That’s their decision to make, and you don’t have to make that for your family. I’m not going to tell you what to do.”
The show’s host then pointed out that the deeper question is whether children should be empowered to make their own decisions about gender-affirming care.
Maher also raised the issue of whether authorities should hide such decisions from parents, misrepresenting a California law that prohibits schools from notifying parents if students decide to change their pronouns.
But Hayes wasn’t convinced and stated again, “I think they should mind their own business. I really do. I think they should mind their own business, and I think that’s true of a lot of things.”
