Tom Williams\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Sign up for\u00a0The Agenda<\/a>, Them\u2019s news and politics newsletter, delivered Thursdays.<\/p>\n This story originally appeared in The Advocate.<\/a><\/p>\n White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller falsely claimed<\/a> that Texas Senate candidate James Talarico was transgender<\/a> during a heated online exchange on Tuesday, as Republicans<\/a> escalated anti-LGBTQ+ attacks against the Democrat<\/a>.<\/p>\n The exchange began after the Democratic National Committee promoted Talarico on its official X account following Texas Republican voters\u2019 decision to nominate<\/a> Attorney General Ken Paxton<\/a> over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP Senate primary. President Donald Trump<\/a> endorsed Paxton last week.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Democrats<\/a> made history in Texas by nominating their first transgender<\/a> senate candidate,\u201d Miller posted on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n Talarico, who won a Democratic primary for Senate in March<\/a>, is cisgender and heterosexual. He has drawn attention for his outspoken allyship and advocacy for LGBTQ+<\/a> equality, something Republicans have pounced on as the Democrat poses the first serious threat<\/a> in years to flip Texas blue.<\/p>\n The DNC, from its official account, posted a blunt reply to Miller, writing, \u201cshut up you ugly fuck.\u201d<\/p>\n Talarico has not directly responded, but he has stood by his positions even as Republicans take issue with various speeches, including one where he said God was \u201cnonbinary.\u201d He told CBS News<\/a> the remarks were \u201cintentionally provocative\u201d but that \u201cGod can\u2019t be defined by human categories.\u201d<\/p>\n “I know there are two sexes, men and women,\u201d Talarico told the news outlet. \u201cI also know there’s a very small percentage of people who have these chromosomal abnormalities, and I believe they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”<\/p>\n He has addressed a number of bizarre attacks seemingly aimed at painting him as liberal and soft. For example, Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters on Tuesday repeated one lie about Talarico and attacked several of the Democrats\u2019 pro-LGBTQ+ positions.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a vegan. He thinks God is nonbinary, [and ]he wants to mutilate children. He wants to put boys in girls\u2019 locker rooms,\u201d Gruters told Newsmax<\/a>. \u201cPeople are done with that.\u201d<\/p>\n Talarico isn\u2019t vegan either.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m an eighth-generation Texan. I\u2019ve been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton\u2019s first indictment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Miller\u2019s statement was technically incorrect in other ways as well, as transgender candidates have won legislative seats in the country, always as Democrats. Before U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride\u2019s election to Congress, where she is the first out trans person to hold the office, she won election to the Delaware state Senate. As the Democratic nominee, she became the nation\u2019s first out trans state senator<\/a> in 2020.<\/p>\n Get the best of what\u2019s queer.\u00a0Sign up for\u00a0Them\u2019s weekly newsletter here.<\/a><\/p>\n