Departing from the position of many Democrats, California Gov. Gavin Newsom—a rumored 2028 presidential candidate—suggested in his latest podcast episode that it was unfair for transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, according to USA Today.
Newsom made the comments during a podcast interview with Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative organization that promotes its political stances on high school and college campuses. When asked by Kirk whether he would say “no men in female sports,” Newsom said, “I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness—it’s deeply unfair.” The comments differ from his past actions regarding the queer community; Newsom garnered national attention in 2004 when he, then the mayor of San Francisco, issued same-sex marriage licenses defying state law and, as governor, he signed legislation that made California a refuge for gender-affirming health care for youth.
Since taking office in January, Republican President Donald Trump has taken many anti-trans actions, including the signing of executive orders to ban trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports, end federal support for gender-affirming care and prevent transgender people from serving openly in the military.
LGBTQ+ leaders and allies immediately condemned Newsom’s remarks. According to Politico Illinois Playbook, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, “It’s disgusting. There are kids waking up today in California with this news thinking that their governor hates them. It’s complicated admittedly, but it’s an issue that should be resolved on a sport-by-sport basis by sports authorities at the local level, not by politicians or [people] trying to climb the ladder.”” Equality Illinois CEO Brian Johnson stated, “Trans folks are not the reason 6 million fewer voters turned out for the Democratic nominee in 2024 compared to 2020.”
“We woke up profoundly sickened and frustrated by these remarks,” California Assembly Member Chris Ward and state Sen. Caroline Menjivar, of the California legislative LGBTQ+ caucus, said in a statement, according to The Guardian. “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.”