Newsom faces criticism for state’s stance on trans athletes in girls’ sports after SCOTUS ruling
Newsom’s office responds to SCOTUS decision on girls’ sports and transgender athletes
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office released a statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to impose a state ban on transgender athletes in girls’ sports. The Outnumbered panel, including Kayleigh McEnany and Dakota Meyer, discusses the fairness of the decision, California’s current gender identity laws, and its potential impact on biological girls in sports. Kennedy also criticizes Newsom’s political motivations.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is once again facing major criticism as his state continues to allow transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports following the Supreme Court’s historic ruling on the issue this week.
Following the court’s 6-3 decision to uphold state laws banning men from women’s sports, Newsom’s office said the state will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete with girls.
A spokesperson from his office told Fox News Digital: “The Supreme Court’s decision does not affect California law. The state is committed to ensuring that every Californian, including the LGBTQ community, is treated with dignity and respect.” “As a Governor, Governor Newsom has the strongest record in the country on protecting and expanding transgender rights,” a source from Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital. provided a bulleted list titled:
FACED BY THE ONGOING TRANS ATHLETE WAVE IN CALIFORNIA, NEWSOM OFFICE RESPONSES TO SCOTUS RULING ON WOMEN’S SPORTS
Governor Gavin Newsom speaks on stage during NYT Climate Forward 2025 at The Times Center in New York City on September 24, 2025. (Main Paskova/Getty Images for NYT)
The list included many bragging points, such as “making it easier to update gender markers in official documents” and “appointing more than one transgender judge.”
The statement sparked strong reactions on social media; Prominent female sports activists such as Riley Gaines and Jennifer Sey were quick to condemn Newsom for his stance.
Newsom’s state was devastated by a trans athlete national media crisis in May for the second year in a row and the third time overall in a year, as prominent transgender athlete AB Hernandez competed in girls’ sports.
AS AB HERNANDEZ PROGRESSES TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, GIRLS’ SPORTS ACTIVISTS GATHER NEARBY
Hernandez won two track and field state titles for the second year in a row. Ahead of the first round of the state tournament in early May, “Save the Girls Sports” protesters, led by former NCAA women’s soccer player Sophia Lorey, held a press conference near the competition site.
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“The news conference sparked controversy and criticism from local residents in the days leading up to the event,” a source from Newsom’s office previously told Fox News Digital.
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The Governor said that discussions on this issue should be conducted within the framework of justice, dignity and respect. He rejects the right wing’s cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual children. “The governor’s stance is simple: stand up for all children and stand up to bullies,” the statement read.
Newsom previously explained in a March 2025 episode of his podcast with the late Charlie Kirk that he believed it was “deeply unfair” for boys to compete in girls’ sports. President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is pursuing Title IX lawsuits against educational institutions in California over their policies allowing transgender athletes to play sports at girls’ high schools. The case was officially launched in July after Hernandez won two state finals in the triple jump and high jump at last year’s championships and placed second in the long jump.
