Newsom: Trans Kids Playing Sports Is 'Deeply Unfair'

CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom used the inaugural episode of his new podcast to speak out against transgender women and girls competing in sports — offering a stark contrast to his usual pro-LGBTQ politics and those of many progressive colleagues.

The "This Is Gavin Newsom" podcast featured a long conversation with prominent pro-Trump activist and media personality Charlie Kirk, who suggested that Newsom had the opportunity to "run to the middle" as part of a future campaign for the presidency.

While the issue of transgender women and girls in sports has been a hotly contested political topic in recent years, Kirk singled out one young California student athlete in his conversation with Newsom.

Kirk, an architect of Turning Point USA, pushed Newsom to speak out against AB Hernandez, a transgender Jurupa Valley High School junior who won a girls' triple jump track event by 8 feet and is "about to win the state championship," Kirk 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," Newsom said.

Newsom’s position is sending shockwaves through the political and LGBTQ worlds for two reasons — Newsom is the liberal leader of the nation’s most populous state, and he skyrocketed to national prominence by flouting California law to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples as mayor of San Francisco in 2004.

The governor’s comments are the latest in Democrats’ efforts to reckon with a 2024 election that returned Trump to the White House and gave Republicans control of both chambers of Congress.

Among the debate since November is how cultural issues – as opposed to economic policy and other matters – explain the party’s losses. Overall, polling suggests that allowing transgender female athletes to play on women’s teams isn’t broadly popular. Even most Democrats — around 7 in 10 — oppose allowing transgender female athletes to participate in women’s sports, according to a January New York Times/Ipsos poll. A 2023 Gallup poll also found that Democrats were divided on whether transgender people should be able to play on sports teams that match their current gender identity.

Newsom, who has long positioned himself as a social progressive, drew sharp rebukes from LGBTQ advocates.

“Sometimes Gavin Newsom goes for the Profile in Courage, sometimes not,” said California Assemblyman Chris Ward and state Sen. Carolina Menjivar, who lead the state’s LGBTQ legislative caucus. “We woke up profoundly sickened and frustrated by these remarks.”

Trump regularly hammered Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Newsom’s fellow Californian, for supporting LGBTQ rights. Trump's campaign spent tens of millions of dollars on television and digital ads with the searing summation: “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.