4 examples of Dr. Mehmet Oz's evolving views on culture war issues
4. From platform to pushback: Transgender rights
Oz's engagement with transgender issues has followed a similar trajectory of moderation, giving way to conservatism.
During his tenure as a TV host, Oz repeatedly platformed the voices of transgender-identifying children. In 2010, his show featured an episode titled "Transgender Kids: Too Young to Decide?" The program included an 8-year-old and a 15-year-old discussing their transitions.
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In 2015, Oz interviewed prominent underage trans activist Jazz Jennings and praised Jennings' mother for supporting her son's transition. He also hosted two fathers who transitioned and hosted two segments with a trans surgeon who performs sex-change surgeries.
When he was running for Senate, Oz began to distance himself and adopt a more critical tone toward transgenderism.
In 2022, his Senate campaign maintained that Oz does not believe "biological males should compete in women's sports," and said he would support legislation to ban males from competing in women's sports.
In April of that year, Oz claimed that 80%-85% of children identifying as trans revert to their "biological gender" if left uninfluenced, warning that encouraging transitions could "mess with their mind."
By May, he labeled liberal support for trans rights as "based on false science," though he stopped short of advocating government interference in medical decisions like puberty blockers, deferring to doctors and parents.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com
