California Governor Gavin Newsom breaks with Democrats on trans athletes in sports

California Governor Gavin Newsom breaks with Democrats on trans athletes in sports

The Democratic California governor made surprising remarks during his debut podcast with conservative guest Charlie Kirk.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a longtime advocate for LGBTQ+ rights who previously defied state law by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, recently suggested that Democrats were wrong to allow transgender athletes to compete in female college and youth sports.

“I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is deeply unfair,” Newsom said during the first episode of his new podcast, This is Gavin Newsom. “I’m not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”

Newsom's comments on this highly debated issue came during a conversation with Charlie Kirk, a prominent figure in the conservative movement and leader of Turning Point USA, a group aligned with former President Donald Trump.

Newsom also agreed with Kirk's point that some of the most effective attack ads from Trump’s campaign featured Vice President Kamala Harris' support for taxpayer-funded gender transition-related medical care for detained immigrants and federal prisoners. Newsom added, “She didn’t even react to it, which was even more devastating,” acknowledging that most Americans disagreed with Harris on the issue. “It was a great ad,” he said.

Kirk also challenged Newsom to speak out against AB Hernandez, a transgender high school track star from California whose triple jump performance in the women’s competition has sparked backlash from conservatives. Newsom, who has four children (including two daughters), expressed his strong belief in the importance of fairness in sports. He noted that both he and his wife were college athletes, with his wife playing soccer and him playing baseball.

“I revere sports, so the issue of fairness is completely legit,” Newsom said. “And I saw that — the last couple years, boy did I [see] how you guys were able to highlight that issue at another level.”

The podcast, which was friendly at times, also featured Newsom reflecting on his own leadership on LGBTQ+ issues while admitting that even some of his friends have asked him why he hasn’t been more vocal about trans athletes.

He acknowledged that the 2014 state law allowing transgender K-12 students to compete in sports and use bathrooms that align with their gender identity had set the foundation for current debates on the topic. Newsom compared his position on trans athletes to conservatives who continue to oppose same-sex marriage despite its widespread acceptance.

In the interview, Newsom expressed sympathy for transgender people, acknowledging the struggles they face, including higher rates of suicide and depression. However, he also agreed with Kirk that Republicans are successfully painting Democrats as out of touch on the issue, with many Americans supporting fairness in sports for women and girls.

“We’re getting crushed on it. Crushed. Crushed,” Newsom admitted.

Newsom's remarks represent a significant departure from the party line and highlight the ongoing tension within the Democratic Party on how to handle the issue of transgender participation in sports.

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