During the second GOP primary debate on Wednesday evening, candidate Vivek Ramaswamy described transgenderism as a “mental health disorder,” the Daily Wire reported.
Debate moderator Dana Perino asked Ramaswamy if as president he would sign legislation to prevent schools from hiding a child’s transgender identity from his or her parents.
Ramaswamy said he has been “very clear” that he believes transgenderism “is a mental health disorder,” particularly among children. He argued that it is important to “acknowledge the truth of that” and said parents “have the right to know.”
Ramaswamy called out the “hypocrisy” of the pro-transgender movement, saying they argue against legislation protecting children from transgender surgeries by saying it would increase the risk of suicide while simultaneously arguing that parents do not have the right to “know about that increased risk of suicide.”
The longshot candidate added that affirming a child’s “confusion” “is not compassionate” but is cruel.
He boasted of meeting two young women who underwent transgender surgeries to identify as male but now regret the decision. He noted that one of the young women “will never have children.”
Ramaswamy said it is “barbaric” that the country allows transgender surgeries and vowed to ban surgical and chemical transgender procedures for minors. He also said he would fight for legislation to protect the rights of parents, a position similar to the other GOP candidates.
Ramaswamy’s description of transgenderism as a “mental health disorder” prompted a furious fact-check from New York Times reporter Azeen Ghorayshi, who declared it “false.”
But rather than prove him false, in her fact-check, Ghorayshi managed to confirm Ramaswamy’s description, explaining that transgenders suffer from gender dysphoria which is a condition included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
