James Talarico did not retreat from the controversy so much as reframe it, which is why the fight over his words still has traction. The moment matters because it blends theology, biology, and campaign politics into one compact quote that critics can repeat in a sentence and supporters can defend in a paragraph.
Quick Take
- Talarico said some of his earlier comments “missed the mark,” but he did not disown the broader point that God transcends human gender categories.
- Reporting from Fox News and the Texas Tribune shows he previously used the phrase “God is nonbinary” and said there are “six” biological sexes in a legislative setting.
- His later explanation narrowed the biology language, saying he recognizes two sexes, male and female, while noting chromosomal variations.
- The controversy now functions as a political weapon: one side sees a revealing quote, the other sees clipped language stripped of context.
The Quote That Would Not Stay Buried
The core of the story is simple: Talarico’s old remarks came back into public view, and he answered them without fully conceding the critics’ framing. Fox News reported that he told CBS News he was “deliberately provocative,” while also saying the essence of his view was that God transcends human definitions.[1] The Texas Tribune likewise reported that he had said the comment was meant to be provocative and that his point was that God is beyond gender.[2]
That matters because a politician can apologize for tone without surrendering the underlying idea. Talarico appears to have done exactly that. He acknowledged the phrasing was provocative, even cringey, but kept the larger theological claim alive: that divine identity does not fit neatly inside human categories.[1][2] For supporters, that sounds like nuance. For opponents, it sounds like a carefully polished version of something he already meant.
Why the Biology Claim Stings So Hard
The sharper controversy is not only theological. Fox News reported that Talarico also said modern science recognizes “six” biological sexes and described sex as a spectrum that can be ambiguous.[1] The Texas Tribune independently quoted the same six-sex remark from a Texas House committee debate, placing it in the exact legislative context where the debate over school sports was unfolding.[2] That setting gave the remark extra political charge.
Later, Talarico narrowed that claim. Fox News reported that when asked whether he still believed there are six biological sexes, he replied, “I recognize there are two sexes: male and female,” while adding that some people have chromosomal variations.[1] That is the kind of shift critics love, because it creates an easy contradiction. It also gives supporters room to argue that he was speaking imprecisely rather than making a hard scientific claim.
What the Political Fight Is Really About
The real battle is not over a single sentence. It is over who gets to define the candidate. The Texas Tribune reported that Republicans are using the old remarks to portray Talarico as an extreme liberal, turning one of his most provocative lines into a campaign identity marker.[2] Once that happens, the quote stops being a quote and becomes a brand.
WATCH: 'Take it Up With the Apostle Paul' – James Talarico Doubles Down on Calling God 'Nonbinary' and Saying There Are Six Genders, Admits Some 'Missed the Mark' https://t.co/W2qM7s9c7e #gatewaypundit via @gatewaypundit
— ⭐Eagle One⭐ (@EagleInTheCloud) May 28, 2026
This is why the story has legs. A short, vivid phrase travels farther than a careful explanation ever will. “God is nonbinary” is memorable, inflammatory, and easy to clip. “I was being deliberately provocative, but my point was that God transcends human definitions” is far more accurate, but it does not hit with the same force.[1][2] Modern politics rewards the line that fits on a bumper sticker, not the one that survives a seminary seminar.
Why the Reaction Will Not Cool Off Soon
Religious audiences are likely to hear the phrase as a matter of reverence, not terminology. Once a politician uses God as the subject of a gender claim, the debate quickly moves from policy to doctrine, and that raises the temperature immediately.[1][2] Even people who think the comment was metaphorical may still view it as needlessly provocative in public life, especially in a state where cultural conservatism still matters.
The strongest reading of the available record is that Talarico did say what critics claim he said, but he later tried to narrow and contextualize it rather than double down in exactly the same form.[1][2] That distinction is important. It means the controversy is not built on fabrication. It is built on interpretation, repetition, and the political usefulness of a sentence that was always destined to outlive its explanation.
Sources:
[1] Web – WATCH: “Take it Up With the Apostle Paul” – James Talarico Doubles …
[2] Web – James Talarico admits past comments ‘missed the mark … – Fox News
