COLOMBIA – A South Carolina Democrat facing the contempt of some state party leaders for sponsoring a bill that would prohibit doctors from prescribing drugs to delay puberty or perform gender-altering surgeries in children under 18 is drawing attention national.
State Representative Cezar McKnight, D-Kingstree, appeared on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” to discuss his legislation, which is co-sponsored by 27 Republicans, including some of the most conservative lawmakers at the Statehouse, and is expected to have its first hearing in April. Opponents say it is yet another attempt by the legislature to infringe the rights of the LGBTQ community in South Carolina.
McKnight said Carlson, whose program is one of the most watched on cable TV, asked him to attend.
“Tucker Carlson and I like chocolate ice cream and onions,” McKnight told the Post and Courier shortly before making his appearance. But “frankly, it’s an opportunity for people to hear what I have to say and how I say it and not allow myself to be demonized by trolls on Twitter.”
During the show, Carlson praised McKnight for taking courage and taking a stand against “big business” and the NCAA – powerful groups that have influenced public health policies in states across the country.
“You obviously caused a lot of problems for yourself by doing this. Why did you do this?” Carlson asked about what has been called the “Child Compassion and Protection Law for SC Minors”, which was introduced on March 9.
If sanctioned by law, doctors who violate it can be charged with a crime and up to 20 years in prison.
“In South Carolina, you need to be 18 to get a tattoo,” McKnight told Carlson during the nearly 4-minute segment. “So how can you make an irrevocable procedure be performed on you at any age during your teenage years? It’s ridiculous.”
McKnight’s proposal drew a strong response from the Democratic Party of SC, whose executive committee issued a resolution condemning the bill shortly after its presentation.
“I don’t know why Congressman McKnight chose this particular issue,” party president Trav Robertson told the Post and the Courier on March 23. “It’s just bizarre on his part.”
States like Alabama, Kansas, Missouri and Montana have introduced similar legislation.
McKnight insists that his measure was not designed to step on the rights of transgender people.
He struggled hard to reinsert sexual orientation back into a hate crime bill that goes to the House of Representatives plenary, and also voted against the proposal to keep transgender women out of elementary and high school sports teams.
McKnight said he was not bothered by his party’s criticism.
“I am a minority. I’m not going to sit here and try to stack anyone, ”said McKnight, who is Black. “There are many people who feel that children need the chance to go through childhood before they make that decision.”
State Representative Justin Bamberg, a Democrat and a South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus colleague, said he could see why Democrats were upset about what they considered a restrictive measure put forward by a member of his own party.
“There are certain things that are very consistent across America, in terms of what it means to be a Democrat: to embrace people’s right to be an individual, to like what they want, to love who they want to love, to do with their lives and do with their bodies as they see fit, ”Bamberg told the Associated Press earlier this month. “I understand the blowback.”
Drew McKissick, chairman of the SC GOP Party, said the Democrats’ internal struggles only highlighted what he characterized as extreme views in the party at large.
“A lone Democrat decides to jump off his crazy cultural train and the rest of his party has a collusion,” McKissick told the Associated Press this month. “Healthy Southern Carolinians understand the absurdity of sex changes and recognize that children especially should not be subjected to this procedure.”
Follow Adam Benson on Twitter @ AdamNewshound12.