Sen. Elizabeth Warren said at a town hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, earlier this week that her prospective Education secretary would have to be approved by a child who is transgender.
Warren, who continues to trail frontrunners Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders heading into the Iowa caucuses Feb. 3, made the statement in response to an audience member’s claim that public schools should teach more LGBTQ history and have more sex education.
“I have two qualifications that I have talked about over and over for my secretary of education,” Warren said. “The first, it has to be someone who has taught in a public school.”
Then, Warren said since the question “came from a young trans person who asked about a welcoming community,” she would have that trans child interview her Education secretary nominee and seek the child’s approval.
“I said it starts with the Secretary of Education who has a lot to do with where we spend our money, with what gets advanced in our public schools, with what the standards are,” Warren said.
“And I said I’m gonna have a Secretary of Education that this young trans person interviews on my behalf and only if this person believes that our secretary or secretary of education nominee is – is committed to creating a welcoming environment, a safe environment, and a full educational curriculum for everyone, will that person actually be advanced to be Secretary of Education,” she continued.
Earlier, Warren condemned Christian-based private schools for teaching a Biblical, traditional view of marriage and sexuality.
States should focus on funding public schools, not private ones—especially not ones that maintain anti-LGBTQ+ policies. We must ensure every kid—especially LGBTQ+ kids—can get a high-quality public education.
— Elizabeth Warren
Warren has also vowed to fill at least half of her Cabinet with women and “non-binary” individuals, people who claim they are neither male nor female.