Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) said he would not stop his underage son from transitioning genders if that was “a journey that he wants to go down,” though he added he would draw the line at puberty blockers.
Moore, who has been floated as a potential 2028 Democratic candidate, made the comments during an appearance on The Patrick Bet-David podcast that was released Tuesday. During the two-hour conversation, Moore discussed his views on gerrymandering, the Iran war, homelessness in California, and transgender issues.
Moore was specifically asked if he would allow his teenage son to transition.
“You know, it’s my son, so I love him regardless,” Moore said. “And he’s always going to have my undying love. That’s me, right? I want to make sure that I’m involved in understanding where he is, how he’s feeling, the way he’s feeling, why he thinks it’s important. If this is a journey that he wants to go down, I want him to always be comfortable in his own skin, and I want him to always know that he has a partner in me to help him along that journey.”
Moore was asked if he would advise his son to wait until he was 18 to transition.
“If this is how he is feeling, and I feel like I’m closely tied to him, I’m not going to advise him on something that he feels is right,” Moore said. “The most important thing to me is that I want him to feel safe in his own skin, safe in his own decision-making, but also know that at 14 years old I want to be involved in that process as well.”
“I’m not going to condemn him, nor castigate him,” said Moore. “I’m not going to kick him out of the house. I’m not going to do anything that’s going to hurt him.”
Late in the conversation Moore said that as a parent, he would not allow his underage child to go on puberty blockers.
“It’s not a choice that I would make,” said Moore. “I think that it is a very personal decision between these families, and honestly, for the kids that are going through this. I mean, honestly, my heart breaks for him, because that is a weight and something that’s become so politicized, that I just think is so deeply unfair to that child.”
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“This is a decision that the child cannot make on their own,” Moore added.
Moore is running for reelection this year in Maryland. He is heavily favored to win a second term.