Newsom suggests that it is 'unfair' for transgender athletes to compete in women's sports

Newsom suggests that it is ‘unfair’ for transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports

Posted by author March 6, 2025 Sports

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WASHINGTON – Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has advocated for strengthening LGBTQ+ protections throughout his career, suggested in his latest podcast episode that it was unfair for transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.

His remarks come as several Democrats have joined Republicans in echoing similar talking points amid a bruising 2024 election season for the party.

Newsom made the comments during a podcast interview with Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, an organization that promotes conservative politics on high school and college campuses. Kirk has promoted false claims about the 2020 election, the COVID-19 vaccine, and other matters.

The governor, a likely contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, announced his new podcast last month, promising frank conversations with some of the “biggest leaders and architects in the MAGA movement.”

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.”

Kirk then asked Newsom whether he would speak out against transgender athlete AB Hernandez, a high school track star from California who recently won a girl’s triple jump event.

“I can see you wrestling with it,” Kirk said, to which Newsom replied, “No, I’m not wrestling. I’m not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”

He also acknowledged that Democrats were getting crushed on the issue, pointing to attack ads on fellow Californian Kamala Harris’ from the Trump campaign declaring that the former Vice President Kamala Harris “is for they/them.”

“It was devastating,” Newsom said.

Trump and Republicans successful made transgender rights a key part of the final weeks of the campaign.

Since taking office in January, Trump has signed executive orders to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports, end federal support for gender-affirming care and prevent transgender people from serving openly in the military. Trump also signed on his first day back in office declaring that the government recognizes only two sexes, male and female.

Newsom’s comments represent a step back from his progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights. He sparked national attention in 2004 when he, then San Francisco mayor, issued same-sex marriage licenses defying state law. As governor he signed legislation that made California a refuge for gender-affirming health care for youth.

Billionaire Elon Musk, a Trump ally, said he was moving his businesses’ headquarters out of California after Newsom signed legislation preventing schoolteachers from being forced to “out” transgender students to their families.

Newsom faced some immediate blow back in California.

“WTF. Trans people and LGBTQ+ people are under attack. We don’t need our gov caving to conservative talking points that further hurt and scapegoat 1% of the population,” California State Assemblymember Alex Lee, a Democrat, wrote Thursday in a post on the social media platform Bluesky.

Equality California, a state LGBTQ rights group, said in a statement it is “profoundly disappointed and angered” by Newsom’s comments.

Other Democrats have come out with a similar stance, but Newsom is the highest profile Democrat to join Republicans on the issue to date.

Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., told The New York Times after President Donald Trump’s win in the 2024 election that “Democrats have to stop pandering to the far left” and argued against transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports.

In January, Texas Democratic Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar voted with Republicans to pass legislation meant to bar transgender students from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. Senate Democrats blocked the bill from advancing earlier this week.

Staff writer Sarah Wire contributed to this report.