California lawmakers refuse to ban trans athletes from girls’ sports—Parents Outraged

Sacramento, California – California lawmakers have decided to uphold policies allowing transgender youth to participate in sports teams that align with their gender identities. The decision came after the state Assembly’s Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism rejected two Republican-backed proposals on Tuesday following hours of debate.

One of the proposed bills aimed to require the California Interscholastic Federation to ban students assigned male at birth from playing on girls’ school sports teams. The other sought to overturn a 2013 law that allows students to participate in sex-segregated school activities, including sports and restroom access, based on their gender identity. The latter proposal would have affected both K-12 and college students.

The hearing occurred just a day after Transgender Day of Visibility and weeks after Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom sparked controversy by suggesting on his podcast that transgender athletes’ participation in girls’ sports may be unfair.

Democratic Assemblymember Chris Ward, chair of the committee and leader of the legislative LGBTQ+ caucus, criticized the bills as part of a broader effort to undermine transgender rights. He also warned that such measures could lead to invasive gender verification policies.

“I don’t think anybody should be gender policing women and girls,” Ward said.

However, Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli, who authored the proposal to repeal the 2013 law, argued that the issue is about fairness in sports.

“Biology matters,” Essayli stated. “Sports are one of the places where that reality is most obvious.”

The debate included testimony from student-athlete Taylor Starling of Riverside, who said a transgender competitor took her spot on her high school’s varsity cross-country team. “Why are girls being told that we must sit down and be quiet while boys unfairly get ahead of us in life?” she asked.

Supporters of transgender inclusion, including LGBTQ+ advocates and parents, urged lawmakers to protect transgender youth and their rights in school environments.

Cati Johnson, a parent of a transgender middle school student, defended existing policies, emphasizing the importance of inclusive spaces for trans youth. “The facilities ban really sends the message that she is not welcome as her authentic self,” Johnson said. “And that’s just not OK.”

According to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, more than 49,000 transgender youth between the ages of 13 and 17 reside in California. Elana Redfield, the group’s federal policy director, stated there is no substantial evidence that trans girls’ participation in sports is unfair or harmful. “Mostly, these laws appear to be motivated by anti-transgender bias,” Redfield said.

At least 24 states have enacted laws barring transgender girls from participating in certain female sports competitions, though some have faced legal challenges. Meanwhile, the Biden administration recently announced an investigation into California’s education department over a law preventing school districts from requiring teachers to inform parents if a student changes their gender identity at school.

While Newsom has not directly called for changing existing laws, his recent comments prompted a letter from U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, urging him to clarify his stance and take action to protect what she called “female spaces.” Newsom later reiterated that he stands by his remarks but has not indicated any plans to support changes to current California law.

With the defeat of these proposals, California’s policies supporting transgender students in sports and school facilities remain unchanged.