Woman who detransitioned says CNN town hall shut her out — she wanted to confront Talarico over his gender claims

THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?

SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do).

Soren Aldaco, 23, says she sought access to a CNN town hall to question Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico about gender-related statements but was denied access.
Aldaco told Katie Miller’s podcast that organizers did not tell her she couldn’t participate until the night before the October 14 event.
She criticized Talarico for acknowledging mistakes in his rhetoric without, in her view, confronting the consequences for people affected by gender-related policy.

LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time).

Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico has spent considerable time explaining his controversial statements about gender and religion. But one young woman says she tried to ask him about those comments face-to-face and couldn’t get into the room.

Soren Aldaco, 23, who received gender-transition-related treatment as a teenager and later detransitioned, appeared Monday on The Katie Miller Podcast to describe an attempt to question Talarico at an October 14 CNN town hall.

Not through a carefully edited campaign commercial. Not through somebody else’s talking points. She wanted a conversation. Imagine that — a politician facing someone with firsthand experience of a policy debate.

Aldaco says organizers waited until the night before the event to tell her she couldn’t attend. ‘No, we can’t get you in that room,’ she recalled being told.

She hoped to question Talarico about earlier gender-related statements and the consequences of policies she says have affected people like her.

Talarico previously drew criticism for comments about God being nonbinary and the number of biological sexes. He has subsequently acknowledged that certain earlier wording was incorrect or poorly chosen.

Aldaco argues changing the wording isn’t enough. She told Miller she had previously tried to contact Talarico about legislation involving gender-related care without obtaining the conversation she wanted.

That’s a pointed challenge to a politician who presents himself as willing to talk through difficult questions.

Talarico did answer questions from other participants at the October 14 town hall, including a Republican who questioned him about religion and his gender-related statements.

Aldaco’s allegation has an important unanswered element: her account does not prove Talarico knew about her request or personally directed anyone to exclude her.

According to Fox News, neither CNN nor the campaign offered comment before publication. So the obvious next question is who made the decision and why.

Aldaco also has ongoing litigation involving professionals she says were connected to her earlier treatment. A Texas Supreme Court decision allowed certain claims to proceed past a limitations dispute; it did not establish the underlying allegations.

Talarico wants Texas voters to believe he can handle hard conversations. Aldaco says she’d welcome one. Whether the candidate accepts that invitation is something his campaign can answer.