James Talarico, a Texas Democrat running for U.S. Senate, expressed concerns regarding parental opt-in rules for sex education while serving in the Texas House. He worried that these regulations might limit the number of students receiving instruction on what he deemed “perhaps the most important topic” they would encounter in school.
In a July 2022 hearing regarding HB 1525, Talarico emphasized that sex education was “maybe the most important topic” for Texas students.
HB 1525 introduced significant reforms to Texas’s education system, including adjustments to sex education that Talarico firmly opposed. The bill shifted the responsibility to parents, requiring them to opt in for their children to receive sex education, rather than opting out.
Additionally, school districts were mandated to fully inform parents about the sex education curriculum.
Talarico eventually voted in favor of HB 1525, an extensive education bill, but he made it clear in his comments that he disagreed with the sex education reforms it contained.
His stance on the sex education components is particularly interesting given his overall record on education funding. Talarico rarely opposed significant education expenditure bills, which often served to funnel taxpayer money to the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm where he was employed and earned nearly six figures.
He has also faced criticism for his interactions with middle school students. Reports surfaced that he shared his personal cellphone number with them, encouraged the reading of sexually explicit literature, and even texted them late at night.
A spokesman for the Republican National Committee, Zach Kraft, raised serious concerns, questioning why a 37-year-old unmarried man would be so eager to discuss sexual matters with children, especially after stating that he favored children who had undergone sex changes. Kraft asserted that Texas should not allow someone, who referred to himself as a “freako,” to become their next senator.
This isn’t the first time Talarico has made headlines for a peculiar response about a topic he finds important. During a 2023 podcast, when asked to name something he cherished beyond friends or family, Talarico stated, “I love — and I’ll just express this because it’s on my mind — the trans children who showed up yesterday at the State Capitol to advocate for their humanity. It was truly inspirational.”
He has also seemingly removed references to “trans kids” from his campaign website during his Senate run. An archived version of his site had indicated that he had “led the fight against efforts to bully trans kids, ban books, and compromise public education.” More recently, Talarico has voiced opposition to gender-reassignment surgeries for minors but had previously voted against legislation that would prohibit certain gender-transition medical procedures for children. He has asserted that doctors are morally obligated to address children’s gender dysphoria and once referred to denying them sex-change treatments as “child abuse.”
Talarico also mentioned that he believes white men have a “greater responsibility” to “love” transgender children, suggesting that a sense of privilege could be reinterpreted as a responsibility to ensure that these children feel accepted.
He recently identified Alyssa Edwards, a drag queen known for her work with children, as his favorite. Edwards aims to be a positive influence and mentor for young artists.
While discussing immigration, Talarico pointed to his experiences teaching undocumented students in San Antonio, suggesting they were often the most patriotic, highlighting their belief in the U.S. as “the land of opportunity.” He believes immigration enforcement should target serious criminals rather than families and small business owners.
In a debate concerning a Texas law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, Talarico argued that such legislation undermines the values of both Christianity and Judaism, calling it an “unChristian decision.”
