Trans issues raised again during Haley v. DeSantis debate
Republican presidential hopefuls Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley traded barbs and touted their anti-transgender positions and records over the course of Wednesday night’s debate hosted by CNN in Des Moines, Iowa.
The candidates were alone on stage, as the Republican frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, again declined to participate, while former New Jersey Gov.
Chris Christie and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy did not qualify. Hours before the debate began, Christie announced his exit from the race — and, in a “hot mic” moment, expressed doubts about the likelihood that either DeSantis or Haley is capable of taking on Trump, who has dominated polls of likely Republican primary voters for over a year.
The candidates’ two-hour debate veered into anti-trans territory quickly, with DeSantis arguing “it is wrong to sexualize the curriculum,” an apparent nod to the idea that LGBTQ inclusive materials in schools are inherently prurient or obscene. “It’s wrong to tell a kindergartener, like Disney wanted to do, that you can change your gender, or tell a third grader that you’re born in the wrong body,” he said.
