Julian Castro defends trans abortion rights
San Antonio mayor Julian Castro defended trans abortion rights in the Democratic primary debate. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
Presidential candidate Julian Castro defended transgender people’s right to abortions in the Democratic primary debate on Wednesday (June 26).
While many are praising his acknowledgement of the transgender community and their reproduction rights, some are criticising the San Antonio mayor for making a mistake with the language he used.
When asked about whether his health plan would cover abortions, Castro responded: “Yes, it would. I don’t believe only in reproductive freedom, I believe in reproductive justice.”
He continued: “I believe in reproductive justice, and what that means is just because a woman — or, let’s not forget someone in the trans community, a trans female — is poor doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have the right to exercise the right to choose.”
Transgender men or non-binary people with uteruses are groups within the community who need abortion rights.
Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness tweeted in support of Castro’s comment in the debate.
Jonathan Van Ness praised Julian Castro on Twitter. (jvn/ Twitter)
Castro’s campaign manager Maya Rupert also tweeted: “Reproductive justice. Trans access to abortion. The first one on the stage to actually SAY the word ‘abortion’. This is my boss. This is my heart.”
Others on social media felt his use of language impacted his trustworthiness when it came to trans rights.
Some twitter users criticised Julian Castro for his language. (AnaMardoll/ Twitter)
Twitter users said Julian Castro was uninformed because of the terminology he used. (NotUntilFour/ Twitter)
Some acknowledged the mistake, but said that the message was more important than the words used.
Some on social media were forgiving when it came to Castro’s mistake. (MEWhiteWitch/ Twitter)
Julian Castro: In 2021 “we’ll say ‘Adiós’ to Donald Trump”
Castro also covered education, employment and immigration in the debate.
He said: “If I’m elected President, I will work hard every single day so that you and your family can get good health care, your child can get a good education, and you can have good job opportunities in a big city or small town. And on January 20, 2021, we’ll say ‘Adiós’ to Donald Trump.”
#AdiosTrump was trending on Twitter after the debate.
