Tuberville Calls for Arrests as Britt Joins Transgender-Athlete Hearing
The Alabama senators’ renewed focus puts their positions on sex-change procedures and transgender athletes before voters as elections approach.
On Tuesday, Sen. Tommy Tuberville called for the arrest of doctors providing sex-change procedures and urged a return to mental institutions for transgender individuals1. Tuberville argued that affirming someone’s delusions is not kind and that the person should be encouraged to seek help1. Sen. Katie Britt participated in a hearing concerning transgender athletes in sports1. The Alabama State High School Athletic Association has said it has no reports of transgender athletes competing in state sports1.
He argued, “it is not kind to affirm the delusions of someone who is clearly struggling with mental illness,” and said people should be encouraged to get help1.
“it is not kind to affirm the delusions of someone who is clearly struggling with mental illness”
Claims and Evidence
Tuberville also alleged that Thomas Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Trump in 2024, was “in online transgender furry culture.”1 The campaign spokesperson likewise said Tuberville’s speech was inspired by shootings involving people associated with the transgender community1.
The Gun Violence Archive’s executive director, Mark Bryant, told FactCheck.org that five of the 5,748 mass shootings recorded from January 2013 through September 2025 had shooters confirmed to be transgender1. The Alabama Reflector also reported that NCAA president Charlie Baker said he knew of fewer than 10 transgender athletes among 500,000 college athletes1.
The Williams Institute at UCLA reported that 81% of transgender adults had considered suicide1. It also reported that 42% had attempted suicide1 and 56% had engaged in non-suicidal self-harm1. Those figures describe serious reported harms; they do not establish that Tuberville’s proposed response would address them.
Alabama’s Existing Laws
Alabama’s restrictions were already in place before this week’s renewed attention. Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law in 2021 barring transgender students from K-12 athletics that do not align with their sex, then signed a similar measure for public two- and four-year colleges in 20231.
Since April 2022, Alabama has made it a felony to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones in the course of what the Alabama Reflector calls “gender-affirming treatment.”
The Responses
Mallory Jaspers, a spokesperson for Tuberville’s campaign, said the speech was inspired by shootings committed by people associated with the transgender community1. Mark Bryant, executive director of the Gun Violence Archive, told FactCheck.org that five of the 5,748 mass shootings recorded from January 2013 through September 2025 had shooters confirmed to be transgender1. The Alabama Trans Rights Action Coalition said Tuberville’s views did not benefit anyone and contradicted medical best practice1. Sen. Dick Durbin said during the hearing that Republicans were using discussion of transgender athletes as a distraction; ALTRAC agreed with his comment1.
ALTRAC urged the senators to turn to household costs, saying their comments showed “their desperation to keep the narrative focused on ‘culture war’ issues” rather than problems Alabamians face, including rising grocery and gas costs1.
Costs for Families
Alabama voters should press Tuberville and Britt to address ALTRAC’s call on grocery and gas costs, while asking Britt to explain her role in the hearing.
Voters should judge their answers by whether they offer a concrete plan for the costs confronting working householdsthe rising grocery and gas costs ALTRAC cited, not merely by which disputes draw the most attention.
Sources
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