California’s Gavin Newsom Opposes Trans Athletes in Women’s Sports, Splitting With Progressives
In a lengthy interview with conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Newsom made his announcement.
In the first episode of his new podcast, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a prospective Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, broke with progressives by opposing the participation of transgender women and girls in female-only sports.
Newsom's statement came during a lengthy interview with Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist. Kirk, 31, founded the powerful Turning Point USA group, which helped President Donald Trump win over more young voters last fall. Kirk has been an outspoken opponent of allowing transgender women and girls to participate, much like Trump.
"I absolutely agree with you that it's a matter of fairness. On This is Gavin Newsom, Newsom said Kirk, "It's a fairness issue—it's really unfair."
Newsom, a varsity baseball player in college, went on, "I am not struggling with the fairness issue." "I completely concur with you. I think sports are great. Therefore, the question of fairness is very legitimate.
The governor's remarks are the most recent attempt by Democrats to make peace with a 2024 election that gave Republicans control of both houses of Congress and put Trump back in the White House. The extent to which cultural factors, rather than economic policy and other issues, account for the party's losses has been a point of contention since November.
According to surveys, there isn't much support for transgender female athletes competing on women's teams. According to a January New York Times/Ipsos poll, even the majority of Democrats—roughly seven out of ten—are against letting transgender female athletes compete in women's sports. Democrats disagreed on whether transgender athletes should be allowed to play on teams that correspond to their current gender identity, according to a Gallup poll conducted in 2023.
LGBTQ+ activists sharply criticized Newsom, who has always presented himself as a social reformer.
According to state senator Carolina Menjivar and California assemblyman Chris Ward, who head the state's LGBTQ+ legislative caucus, "Gavin Newsom sometimes goes for the Profile in Courage, sometimes not." "These comments deeply disgusted and irritated us when we woke up."
Equality California's executive director, Tony Hoang, expressed his disappointment and fury at Newsom's remarks, saying they "added to the heartbreak and fear" that the transgender community experiences under the Trump administration.
According to Hoang, "extremist politicians are currently launching unprecedented attacks against transgender youth, their families, their doctors, and their teachers in an effort to destroy their civil rights and eradicate them from public life." "They require leaders who will stand up for them without reservation."
Transgender athletes must be permitted to compete on school sports teams that correspond to their gender identity, according to a California legislation that was passed before Newsom was elected governor. Legislation to outlaw such practice was presented by Republican state lawmakers this year, but it would be challenging to succeed in the statehouse, which is controlled by Democrats. Newsom doesn't usually comment on pending legislation, according to the governor's office, which declined to comment on the ideas.
Beyond sporting concerns, the public is less supportive of topics like medical care for transgender persons and more extensive limitations on transgender rights, especially among Democrats.
Support for transgender rights in society and government has gone too far, according to 55% of voters in the 2024 election, compared to around 2 out of 10 who thought it has been about right and a comparable percentage who said it hasn't gone far enough, according to AP VoteCast. Laws that prohibit gender-affirming medical treatments for minors who identify as transgender, such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers, were likewise marginally more likely to be opposed by voters than supported.
Despite this, Republicans have attempted to take advantage of the cultural icon that sports are in America.
In the first episode of his new podcast, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a prospective Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, broke with progressives by opposing the participation of transgender women and girls in female-only sports.
Newsom's statement came during a lengthy interview with Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist. Kirk, 31, founded the powerful Turning Point USA group, which helped President Donald Trump win over more young voters last fall. Kirk has been an outspoken opponent of allowing transgender women and girls to participate, much like Trump.
"I absolutely agree with you that it's a matter of fairness. On This is Gavin Newsom, Newsom said Kirk, "It's a fairness issue—it's really unfair."
Newsom, a varsity baseball player in college, went on, "I am not struggling with the fairness issue." "I completely concur with you. I think sports are great. Therefore, the question of fairness is very legitimate.
The governor's remarks are the most recent attempt by Democrats to make peace with a 2024 election that gave Republicans control of both houses of Congress and put Trump back in the White House. The extent to which cultural factors, rather than economic policy and other issues, account for the party's losses has been a point of contention since November.
According to surveys, there isn't much support for transgender female athletes competing on women's teams. According to a January New York Times/Ipsos poll, even the majority of Democrats—roughly seven out of ten—are against letting transgender female athletes compete in women's sports. Democrats disagreed on whether transgender athletes should be allowed to play on teams that correspond to their current gender identity, according to a Gallup poll conducted in 2023.
LGBTQ+ activists sharply criticized Newsom, who has always presented himself as a social reformer.
According to state senator Carolina Menjivar and California assemblyman Chris Ward, who head the state's LGBTQ+ legislative caucus, "Gavin Newsom sometimes goes for the Profile in Courage, sometimes not." "These comments deeply disgusted and irritated us when we woke up."
Equality California's executive director, Tony Hoang, expressed his disappointment and fury at Newsom's remarks, saying they "added to the heartbreak and fear" that the transgender community experiences under the Trump administration.
According to Hoang, "extremist politicians are currently launching unprecedented attacks against transgender youth, their families, their doctors, and their teachers in an effort to destroy their civil rights and eradicate them from public life." "They require leaders who will stand up for them without reservation."
Transgender athletes must be permitted to compete on school sports teams that correspond to their gender identity, according to a California legislation that was passed before Newsom was elected governor. Legislation to outlaw such practice was presented by Republican state lawmakers this year, but it would be challenging to succeed in the statehouse, which is controlled by Democrats. Newsom doesn't usually comment on pending legislation, according to the governor's office, which declined to comment on the ideas.
Beyond sporting concerns, the public is less supportive of topics like medical care for transgender persons and more extensive limitations on transgender rights, especially among Democrats.
Support for transgender rights in society and government has gone too far, according to 55% of voters in the 2024 election, compared to around 2 out of 10 who thought it has been about right and a comparable percentage who said it hasn't gone far enough, according to AP VoteCast. Laws that prohibit gender-affirming medical treatments for minors who identify as transgender, such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers, were likewise marginally more likely to be opposed by voters than supported.
Despite this, Republicans have attempted to take advantage of the cultural icon that sports are in America.
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