Businessman turned Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy had strong words for the gender ideology craze at the second 2024 GOP debate, stating that transgenderism is a “mental health disorder.”
Debate moderator Dana Perino asked Ramaswamy about gender-reassignment surgeries for children and whether he would be in favor of a national ban on such practices. Dozens of Republican-led states have already outlawed sex-change surgeries for minors, including Florida, Texas, and North Carolina.
“I have to be very clear about this: transgenderism, especially in kids, is a mental health disorder,” Ramaswamy declared. “We have to acknowledge the truth of that for what it is,” he continued, drawing applause.
When asked specifically about parental rights, Ramaswamy stated that “parents have the right to know.”
“The hypocrisy of this is, even New Hampshire failed to pass a piece of legislation here. The very people who say that this increases the risk of suicide are also the ones saying that parents don’t have the right to know about that increased risk of suicide,” he continued. “And I’m sorry, it is not compassionate to affirm a kid’s confusion. That is not compassion, that is cruelty.”
The businessman — who has surged to second or third in a number of GOP presidential polls after entering the race as a political unknown — then described a campaign meet-up where he spoke with two young women who regret their gender reassignment surgeries. One of them will never be able to carry a pregnancy, the GOP candidate explained.
“And the fact that we allowed that to happen in this country, is barbaric,” Ramaswamy said. “So I will ban genital mutilation or chemical castration under the age of 18.”
