Tipsheet

DeSantis and Newsom’s Fiery Exchange About Parental Rights

Madeline Leesman
Madeline Leesman  |  December 01, 2023 12:30 PM

On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is running for the 2024 White House, got in a tense exchange about California’s laws that flout parents’ rights and allow children to undergo so-called “gender-affirming care.” 

“He [Newsom] says California respects parents’ rights. This is rich…in California, if you’re a parent in Florida, of Iowa, or South Carolina, your minor child can go to California without your knowledge and without your consent and get hormone therapy, puberty blockers and a sex change operation all without you knowing or consenting. How in the heck is that honoring parents’ rights when you’re bringing people from out-of-state to go around their parents’ backs and getting life-altering surgeries? That is radical, that is extreme,” DeSantis said. 

Newsom tried interjecting DeSantis, stating: “these kids just want to survive.” 

In addition, DeSantis pointed out that the book “Gender Queer,” which he said “is pornography” is available in California classrooms. 

“I actually have something that I brought that some parents have objected to. So this is a book that's in some of the schools in California. Florida - this is not consistent with our standards called Gender Queer. Some of it’s blacked out. You would not probably be able to put this on air,” DeSantis said as he held up pages from the book.

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“This is pornography. It's cartoons. It's aimed at children, and it's wrong. So this should not be in schools. When people like on the left, say that somehow you're banning books by removing this from a young kids classroom. No, this is not age appropriate. And so we're gonna stand for the rights of parents. I think we need to do that nationwide. I don't think you can have a situation where some states just trample on the rights of parents. Parents have a fundamental right to direct the education and upbringing of their kids,” DeSantis added. 

Townhall previously reported how the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers union in the country, recommended that educators include the controversial book “Gender Queer” in their summer reading.