Detransitioner says denied opportunity to deliver Talarico message at CNN town hall

Aldaco describes her request

Aldaco said she attempted to attend a CNN town hall featuring Talarico earlier this month. She told Katie Miller that organizers replied only on the evening before the event and said she could not take part.

Aldaco said she hoped to speak directly with Talarico and deliver her perspective through a conversation. She also criticized what she viewed as his failure to recognize the effects of earlier statements and his positions on gender-transition policies.

Dispute over past positions

Aldaco said she had tried to contact Talarico over four years, across two legislative sessions and five bills. She argued that he did not engage with her about proposals she believed could help people who still identify as transgender.

Talarico has said he was misinformed about a past claim concerning six genders. In a separate interview, he said Republican extremism had pushed discussion of transgender issues and that public education, not those issues, had been a reason he sought office.

Questions at the town hall

CNN and Jubilee Media held the event on Oct. 14, with moderator Erin Burnett and audience questions. Republican small-business owner Sarah Gardner challenged Talarico about statements on God, gender and abortion, and asked about his view of the Bible’s authority.