(LifeSiteNews) — If you needed any more proof that Republicans are merely what Democrats used to be, look no further than Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s disappointing, though entirely predictable, response to a gender-confused high schooler on CNN last week.
During a town hall appearance with host Jake Tapper, Youngkin not only seemed to support the young girl’s “transition” into a man, but he expressed his own desire for “more gender neutral” bathrooms.
Youngkin:
“We just need extra bathrooms in schools. We need gender-neutral bathrooms so people can use the bathroom they are comfortable with. Sports are very clear: I don’t think biological boys should be playing sports with biological girls.” pic.twitter.com/ag6m9pfcP9
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) March 10, 2023
“I believe first when parents are engaged with their children, then you can make good decisions together. That’s really, really, important,” he said, after the underage minor informed him she’s actually a “transgender man.”
“I met your dad and I’m glad that you’re both here together.”
Youngkin first gained national attention in 2021 when he upset Clinton surrogate Terry McAuliffe in what everyone thought was going to be just another instance of a well-oiled Democrat machine re-asserting itself in an increasingly blue state.
Instead, Youngkin ran on a number of culture war issues and defeated his liberal opponent 50.6-48.6%. His victory was especially notable in that it marked the first gubernatorial win for the GOP in the post-Trump era.
What Glenn Youngkin says and does matters. With his newfound fame, he can either move the party to the left or to the right, albeit in a limited manner. And in this instance, he moved it in the wrong direction.
Whether or not “Niko” — the name this young girl goes by — decided to mutilate herself with or without her father’s support is irrelevant. It is, simply put, wrong either way. Yougkin telling her that it’s “really important” for parents and children to “make good decisions together” is a red herring. If the decision they come to involves the wholesale degradation of her body, then it is not a good one, regardless of who consents to it.
The sad part is, Youngkin isn’t all that worse than other prominent Republicans on this issue. Donald Trump himself hosted, along with potential Vice-Presidential pick Kari Lake, a party for his LGBT supporters at Mar-a-Lago the night Joe Biden signed the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” into law.
While Youngkin is rumored to be pondering a presidential run, I don’t think anything will come of it. He’d be a fool to jump into the cage match that’s brewing between Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Better to wait for the dust to settle.
The LGBT issue is not going away for the political right. Either Republicans can side with Youngkin and bow before voters like young Niko or they can defend biological and philosophical truths and push back against the harmful lies teens and others are being told by the LGBT lobby. If history is our guide, sadly, they’ll choose the former. As the saying goes, conservatism is just liberalism in slow motion.