Now that California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that it’s unfair for biological males to compete against female athletes, state Republicans are hoping he’ll support their girls’ sports bill.
Republican Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez introduced legislation in January that directs the California Interscholastic Federation to prohibit “a pupil whose sex was assigned male at birth from participating on a girls interscholastic sports team.”
Leading the calls for Mr. Newsom to get behind the bill was Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher.
“It’s not a radical position to believe that men have an unfair advantage against high school girls in sports,” Mr. Gallagher told The Washington Times in an email. “It’s common sense. I’m glad that Governor Newsom seems to be changing his position on this, but he needs to back up his words with action.”
He added that Mr. Newsom “needs to support our legislation to restore fairness to girls’ sports – otherwise this is nothing but more empty talk from the governor.”
Mr. Newsom stunned the political establishment Thursday by breaking with his party on transgender athletes in female sports, saying on his podcast that it’s “deeply unfair” and pointing out that Democrats are getting “crushed” on the issue.
Ms. Sanchez highlighted the governor’s comments in urging Democrats to vote for Assembly Bill 89, the Protect Girls’ Sports Act.
“As @GavinNewsom realizes, this isn’t an LGBTQ issue. PERIOD. This is about fairness in girls’ sports,” she said on X. “My bill, AB 89, to restore safety and fairness to girls’ sports in CA is coming up for a hearing. Will Assembly Democrats listen to reason and support my bill?”
So far it doesn’t look good. Several Democratic legislators blasted the governor’s comments, which were made in an interview with conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“Sometimes Gavin Newsom goes for the Profile in Courage, sometimes not,” the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus leadership said in a Thursday statement.
“We woke up profoundly sickened and frustrated by these remarks,” the statement said. “All students deserve the academic and health benefits of sports activity, and until Donald Trump began obsessing about it, playing on a team consistent with one’s gender has not been a problem since the standard was passed in 2013.”
The California Interscholastic Federation has declared that it will continue to allow students to compete based on gender identity, prompting the Department of Education to launch a Title IX investigation.
If @GavinNewsom is sincere about this fundamental fairness issue he should support common sense legislation introduced by @AsmRepublicans that protects women’s sports. https://t.co/ApA4gU6Fmp
— James Gallagher (@J_GallagherAD3) March 6, 2025
Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener commended Mr. Newsom for his many “courageous moments” in support of LGBTQ issues, but said that “this is not one of those moments.”
“Charlie Kirk is a vile bigot, and standing with him on this issue is profoundly disturbing,” Mr. Wiener said in a Thursday statement.
A spokesperson for Mr. Newsom declined to comment, saying that the office “does not typically comment on pending legislation.”
LGBTQ advocates insist that transgender athletes in girls’ sports are so rare as to be inconsequential, but the state is currently embroiled in a fracas over A.B. Hernandez, a biological male who identifies as female dominating the girls’ track-and-field arena.
The junior at Jurupa Valley High School won the high jump, long jump and triple jump last month at the Ontario Relays, setting a state record in the high jump and outdistancing the second-place finisher in the triple jump by a whopping 8 feet.
