Trump uses State of the Union to demonize transgender kids and their families

"Trump spoke about "Sage's harrowing story," accusing Virginia school officials of secretly "socially transition[ing] her to a new gender" without her parents' knowledge. Blair's family claims that school officials affirmed her gender identity without notifying her parents. The Blair family alleges in ongoing litigation that she ran away from home and was subsequently trafficked for sex and that the school's actions led to her traumatization."

"Trump used the anecdote to argue for national action, telling Congress that "no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents' arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents' will," adding, "We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately.""

"At a moment when Americans are still grappling with high health care costs, struggling with economic uncertainty over affordability, and a contentious debate over immigration enforcement, the president instead trained his fire on transgender youth, a population whose size and medical care, researchers say, are routinely misrepresented in political debate."

During the State of the Union address, President Trump spotlighted the case of Sage Blair, a Virginia teenager, to advance a political agenda against transgender youth. Trump claimed school officials secretly transitioned Blair to a new gender without parental knowledge, though researchers note that transgender youth populations and their medical care are routinely misrepresented in political discourse. Trump called for immediate national action to ban gender transitions for minors against parental will. This focus on transgender issues occurred amid ongoing American concerns about healthcare costs, economic uncertainty, and immigration enforcement. The Blair family's case has been central to efforts to pass legislation known as "Sage's Law" in Virginia, reflecting broader political mobilization around transgender youth policies.

Read at Advocate.com