After weeks of criticism from political allies, Governor Gavin Newsom explains why he shares his beliefs It is unfair for trans athletes to participate in women’s sports.
newsom, In a recent interview with The TimesAlthough he has been deliberating on the issue for years, he did not interview conservative Charlie Kirk last month to express his views and break the news on his podcast last month.
The governor said the moment happened after Kirk “worked so hard” on the topic and mentioned a California trans high school athlete Beat competitors with 8 feet in triple jump.
“And then asked me, ‘Tell me, is that unfair?’ I looked at him and I said, “You’re right. ” “So this is not some grand design. I know, I know it hurts a lot of people. But, respectfully, I just disagree with those people in this regard. ”
The governor refers to the political left. Progressives and advocates in the trans community accused him of betraying a group that supported his political rise.
State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-san Francisco) said Newsom’s remarks were “destructive and frustrated” and were once an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. Newsom critics also accused him of triggering flip-flops. They pointed out that he had been California Law Signed by former Governor Jerry Brown, transgender students are allowed to participate in sports and use the bathroom based on gender preference.
Some Democrats claim that after questions raised by Donald Trump and transgender athletes who will participate in the women’s movement, many believe Newsom has strategically abandoned a vulnerable group and that Democrats have a responsibility to Democrats during the 2024 election.
Republicans immediately began to put pressure on Newsom to support state legislation to ban trans athletes from participating in youth and college sports. The governor refused to hold a position on the proposal, which is planned to be Legislative Council Hearing Tuesday.
“It’s amazing,” said Bill Essayli (R-Corona), a compilation on social media sites. “Talking is cheap Gavin Newsom.”
Newsom said in an interview with The Times that he “has been struggling for a while.”
He said he and his assistants discuss and seek advice on how to find a balance when trans athletes compete with women, which has become a problem in California, including During the San Jose trans volleyball player dispute last year. He also mentioned The situation in 2023 Two trans athletes refused to compete in the California Interscholastic Federation high school track and field finals, after facing opposition in the women’s sports.
“I mean, we’ve been exploring quietly behind the scenes for a few years, and we… can’t land,” Newsom said.
The governor talked about this introspection during his podcast with Kirk.
“I totally agree with the issue of fairness. It’s easy to call this up,” Newsom told Kirk. “These poor people are more likely to commit suicide, anxiety and depression, and the way people talk to vulnerable communities is also a problem, and it is also a difficult question for me. So I can hold on to both.
The governor went on to tell Kirk that he had a “stress test” on the issue and then commented on the rarity of NCAA trans athletes.
In an interview with The Times, Newsom delayed the idea that he could have shared his views during the 2024 election cycle and helped his party through unpopular issues with voters. Two-thirds of Americans say trans athletes should be required to play teams that match the gender assigned at birth. February Pew Research Survey.
“I don’t have a podcast,” Newsom said. “I didn’t have that conversation. I had a big blue conversation in the big blue crowd on the big blue bus.”
Newsom said parents had met him in his kids’ football game and shared their concerns about trans athletes competing with girls in youth sports. He said they are often Democrats, who celebrate the gay community and are not good people for “transgender people.”
The governor also defended his record of support for trans communities. He pointed to legislation he signed last year that prohibits school districts from requiring teachers to notify parents of their preferences about gender identity, Trump administration A federal investigation was initiated Last week. He also noticed his appointment in 2022 The first public trans judge In the United States, Andi Mudryk arrives at the Sacramento County Superior Court.
Although some individuals reached out and praised him alone, Newsom said some of his “most loyal friends” said they were shocked and reassessed their support for him.
“I have a solid record on a lot of issues to question people talking in disloyal terms, which has led me to actually start believing in the criticism on the right,” Newsom said. “I always think my party’s judgment is overstated, I’ll be with you, and now I understand this criticism more deeply than ever before.”
