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California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing widespread criticism from LGBTQ advocates after suggesting that Democrats were wrong to fight for transgender athletes’ ability to compete in female college and youth sports.
Newsom made the statement in the debut episode of his podcast, This is Gavin Newsom, during a conversation with MAGA figure Charlie Kirk, who leads the right-wing advocacy group Turning Point USA. Kirk has previously called for Trump to investigate Newsom over California’s wildfires, and has a history of making anti-transgender statements and using anti-trans slurs. He has also consistently opposed gender-affirming care and trans inclusion in sports.
Regardless of right-wing propaganda about trans athletes, studies do not show that trans women have a categorical athletic edge. “Research shows that trans people perform similarly to their cisgender counterparts, and available information does NOT indicate that trans athletes have inert athletic advantage. To put it plainly: the myth that trans women dominate sports is a fabricated lie rooted in misogyny, not science,” Gender/Justice says in a toolkit.
Yet, during his podcast, Newsom aligned himself with Kirk’s stance, saying that he “completely agree[s]” that trans women should be banned from competing in women’s sports. “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,” Newsom said.
“I revere sports, so the issue of fairness is completely legit,” Newsom continued. “And I saw that — the last couple years, boy did I [see] how you guys were able to weaponize that issue at another level.” When Kirk questioned Newsom’s choice of the term “weaponize,” Newsom opted instead for the word “highlight.”
Even though Newsom has long been celebrated as a pro-LGBTQ politician — famously breaking state law years ago to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples — his track record is spotty when it comes to supporting trans people. In 2023, he vetoed a bill that would have required courts to take into account a parent’s statement of their child’s gender identity in custody proceedings and another that would have mandated coverage of gender-affirming and abortion care by out-of-state insurance plans sold to California workers.
According to Politico, during the podcast, Newsom acknowledged the influence Kirk and other MAGA-aligned figures have had on his 13-year-old son; expressed skepticism regarding pronouns and the term “Latinx”; criticized the idea of defunding the police as “lunacy”; and condemned “cancel culture.” He also drew a parallel between his stance on trans athletes and conservatives’ past opposition to same-sex marriage, emphasizing that he respects Kirk and others for holding firm in their anti-LGBTQ beliefs, even as gay marriage has become legally recognized and broadly accepted in the U.S.
“Gavin Newsom has been ensnared in the far right trap to push the Overton window further and further right,” LGBTQ legislative researcher Allison Chapman told Truthout in response to Newsom’s comments. “By ignoring science in order to appease moderate to right leaning voters he has alienated his base that deeply care about LGBTQ rights.”
Although Newsom has repeatedly denied presidential ambitions, CalMatters reported in November that he appears to be laying the groundwork for a future campaign. He has positioned himself as a prominent figure in opposition to Trump, convening a special legislative session in December to “Trump-proof” California and allocating $50 million in state funds to cover legal costs in the fight against the Trump administration.
“I’m sure plagiarizing Bill Maher is the way to win over the Democratic base,” civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo recently said on Bluesky. Maher, a controversial comedian often criticized for being overly contrarian, identifies as liberal but has made anti-trans comments and said that Democrats are losing elections because they support trans rights — rather than because they are moving further and further right.
“Harris attempted this same strategy by ignoring the cries of young voters against the Palestinian genocide and lost,” Chapman told Truthout. “Why is Newsom trying to repeat it?”
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