California rejects Trump demand to ‘keep men out of women’s sports’
California has rejected a resolution from the Trump administration that sought to bar transgender-identifying biological males from competing in women’s sports, a decision that has sparked notable controversy. The Department of education had proposed California sign an agreement to adhere to federal laws that emphasize keeping biological males out of female sports, but the state declined, citing fairness issues raised by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon criticized California’s decision, claiming it was politically motivated and that the state had violated Title IX protections against gender discrimination in sports. This conflict intensified after a transgender athlete, AB Hernandez, won multiple medals at a state track event, which led Trump to label such participation as unfair to female athletes. He threatened to cut federal funding to California if they did not align with his administration’s stance.
The California Interscholastic federation (CIF) allowed Hernandez to compete while implementing changes to promote participation among biological girls. This ongoing dispute indicates a broader national conversation about transgender rights in sports, with advocates and opponents preparing for potential legal challenges and political ramifications.
California rejects Trump demand to ‘keep men out of women’s sports’
California defied the Trump administration’s stance on Monday on transgender-identifying biological males being allowed to compete against females in women’s sports, rejecting a chance to resolve its dispute with the Department of Education.
The Education Department had sent California a resolution agreement to “follow federal law and keep men out of women’s sports.” After California rejected the proposal, Education Secretary Linda McMahon noted Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) comment earlier this year that requiring female athletes to compete against biological males is unfair.
“California has just REJECTED our resolution agreement to follow federal law and keep men out of women’s sports,” McMahon posted on X. “Turns out Gov. Newsom’s acknowledgment that ‘it’s an issue of fairness’ was empty political grandstanding. @CAgovernor, you’ll be hearing from @AGPamBondi.”
The California Department of Education and the state’s athletics body, the California Interscholastic Federation, sent the Trump administration letters denying a chance to sign the resolution agreement.
The Education Department said last month that California had violated Title IX, which protects against gender discrimination in women’s sports. The Trump administration argued that allowing transgender-identifying biological males to compete in women’s sports deprives female athletes of having their sex-segregated sports, while men get to have their own, thus constituting discrimination.
The alleged violation came after transgender athlete AB Hernandez won two first-place medals and a second-place medal at the state’s female track and field championships in May.
President Donald Trump said Hernandez’s participation “IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.” He then threatened to cancel “large-scale” federal funding to California if the state didn’t comply with his executive order barring transgender athletes from sports that do not correspond to their sex.
He cited Newsom’s statement from earlier this year, which McMahon had also pointed to, that transgender athletes competing in women’s sports is “deeply unfair.”
“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 in March. “I’m not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”
The CIF allowed Hernandez to compete, but it enacted some changes to allow more biological girls to participate.
“I can tune it out pretty well. I don’t really care,” Hernandez said. “It’s weird when reporters come, and I’m like, I forgot I’m famous now. But for the most part, I’m living a normal life, and then I go on social media, and I’m like, wait, I’m known.”
As McMahon indicated, the Department of Justice is now expected to get involved and potentially punish California and the CIF for their decision.
“I think the attorney general is well poised and ready for a fight to go down,” said Kathie Moehlig, founder and executive director of TransFamily Support Services. “California believes in equal rights, and we’re going to fight for the rights of the people in our state.”
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Sophia Lorey, outreach director for California Family Council, indirectly countered Moehlig’s statement by saying it was an “embarrassing hill” for California to “die on.”
“It’s a really embarrassing hill for the state of California to die on and lose that money simply because they want to allow males to be in girls locker rooms and girls sports teams,” she said.
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