One Nation senator says parents who support their trans children are engaging in 'child abuse'
Guardian AU
β’Sat, 15 Aug 2026 20:00:06 GMT
π° What Happened
One Nation senator Tyron Whitten has claimed that parents who support their transgender children are engaging in child abuse. He made the comments on a fringe YouTube show, saying there is male, there is female, and then there is mental illness. Guardian Australia uncovered several incendiary comments from Whitten and fellow One Nation figures about transgender Australians.
π The Backstory
The comments add to a pattern of controversial statements from One Nation figures about transgender people. In June, Senator Malcolm Roberts told a podcast that some arguments about gender were a complete distortion of science. The party has made these issues part of its public messaging. Advocates and medical groups say such remarks can be harmful to young people and their families.
π― Why It Matters
What politicians say about vulnerable groups shapes how society treats them. These remarks can hurt trans young people and their families, who already face a lot of pressure and discrimination.
One Nation senator Tyron Whitten has claimed that parents who support their transgender children are engaging in child abuse. He made the comments on a fringe YouTube show, saying there is male, there is female, and then there is mental illness. Guardian Australia uncovered several incendiary comments from Whitten and fellow One Nation figures about transgender Australians.
The comments add to a pattern of controversial statements from One Nation figures about transgender people. In June, Senator Malcolm Roberts told a podcast that some arguments about gender were a complete distortion of science. The party has made these issues part of its public messaging. Advocates and medical groups say such remarks can be harmful to young people and their families.
What politicians say about vulnerable groups shapes how society treats them. These remarks can hurt trans young people and their families, who already face a lot of pressure and discrimination.