Jonathan Van Ness breaks down in tears discussing trans rights on Dax Shepard’s podcast

Jonathan Van Ness broke down in tears on an episode of Dax Shepard’s podcast “Armchair Expert” while defending the rights of transgender kids.

In the most recent episode of Dax Shepard’s podcast “Armchair Expert,” Jonathan Van Ness broke down in tears while defending the rights of transgender kids.

Shepard and Van Ness engaged in a light-hearted conversation about a range of topics before they began talking about The New York Times. When Van Ness said the publication should not be considered left-leaning, Shepard responded with, “It absolutely is.” Van Ness then said the publication shares anti-trans content.

After the two went back and forth on the topic, Shepard said, “Some people are very uncomfortable about teenagers transitioning. They’re challenging that. How do we know that the person’s not gonna change their mind?”

“To even question it makes you an enemy. I don’t think that’s the way forward,” Shepard continued before prompting Van Ness to offer a rebuttal.

Van Ness said it felt like they were talking to their dad. They then went on to discuss how transgender athletes do not have the competitive advantage that some — like J.K. Rowling, who Van Ness mentions — claim they do. Shepard responded by asking whether the inclusion of transgender athletes is safe or fair for cis-women in the sports. The two then discussed the topic for over 20 minutes. Van Ness said that as a non-binary person, it is “disappointing” when people claim to be fighting for women while excluding trans children from playing sports.