On today’s edition of The Editors, Rich, Charlie, Maddy, and Michael discuss bills in Florida and Texas aimed at protecting children from so-called “gender-affirming care.”

Balancing government intervention in such things can be tricky, but as Maddy says, “I don’t particularly like the idea of government getting involved in medicine, but if the medical establishment is unable or unwilling to prevent mass malpractice that affects children, then absolutely the state has a compelling interest to get involved.”

Our resident conservitarian, Charlie Cooke, tends to be in favor of decriminalizing certain items such as drugs and porn, but says that he’s “always drawn a distinction between minors and adults.” He goes on to say that “the question is one of merit, not of principle. Is this correct medically? I think that at this stage, at the very least, it is far better to err on the side of caution when you’re dealing with irreversible and newfangled medical procedures.”

To hear Michael’s take on this issue, as well as our panelist’s conversation on the 2024 race and on fawning coverage of Pete Buttigieg, listen below.