CNN host Chris Cuomo doubled down Monday on his controversial tweet from last week in which he said parents whose daughters do not want to see transgender boys' male genitalia in the locker should "teach tolerance."
Cuomo spoke with conservative commentator Ben Ferguson on CNN's "New Day" about a transgender wrestler in Texas, 17-year-old Mack Beggs, who was born female but identifies as a male and has been taking testosterone for over a year. The wrestler is still competing in the girl's division and won the Texas state championship over the weekend.
Ferguson argued that it was unfair to the other female wrestlers for Beggs to compete while taking testosterone, which is generally considered a performance enhancing drug.
"It is illogical to somehow imply that this kid is a victim because he decided to do something and change something and you have to change the entire sport around it," Ferguson said. "To say we have to change the entire way sports is done because of one person and their decision to do something is unrealistic."
Cuomo argued that Ferguson was wrong and even tweeted out a video of the exchange from his own Twitter account, writing that "'tradition' is not a reliable measure for liberty."
Xgender raises some novel & difficult issues but "tradition" is not a reliable measure for liberty. Watch & discuss https://t.co/jQBkgm4MMD
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) February 27, 2017
"The issues is acceptance," Cuomo said of the transgender community, echoing his tweet from the prior week.
He then compared the debate over Beggs competing in the female division the gender-neutral bathroom issue.
"People who are sharing your idea are using misinformation ... and mythology," Cuomo said to Ferguson. He then referenced his tweet from last week.
"The idea you are going to have genitals waved in their face, 'My 12-year-old, my 12-year-old daughter is going to have genitals in her face,' that's what you on the [right] say," Cuomo said. "You realize that is an absurd notion, right?"
Four days earlier, Cuomo responded to a user on Twitter while defending gender-neutral bathrooms. Cuomo deleted the tweet after receiving backlash.
The CNN host was criticizing the Trump administration for rolling back former President Obama's protections that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms that matched the gender they identify with. One Twitter user asked Cuomo, "What do you tell a 12-year-old girl who doesn't want to see a penis in a locker room?"
"I wonder if she is the problem or her overprotective and intolerant dad? teach tolerance [sic]," Cuomo responded.
@FoxNews can you please investigate this now deleted tweet by @ChrisCuomo, it's sick and @cnn should fire him: pic.twitter.com/0nsXbZnBDV
— Dr. Matthew Andrews® (@drmattdandews) February 23, 2017