Trump has America’s most liberal state sprawling.
In California, the battle over transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports has become a focal point of debate, with state Republicans leading efforts to challenge the state’s stance. California lawmakers recently introduced three bills aimed at addressing the issue and protecting fair competition for women in sports.
One of the key bills, introduced by Assemblymember Bill Essayli, seeks to ensure that school sports are segregated based on biological sex, not gender identity. Essayli, speaking at a press conference in Sacramento, emphasized that the state’s resistance to federal laws, including President Trump’s executive order on the matter, necessitated action at the local level. “It’s our role to force change where the state will not comply,” Essayli said, advocating for fairness in sports for female athletes.
This move comes after significant controversy and increasing support for the protection of women’s sports. One example is the experience of former San Jose State University volleyball coach, who faced retaliation after filing a Title IX complaint regarding the participation of a transgender athlete. In a show of solidarity, she stressed the importance of protecting safe spaces for women and called for DNA testing to ensure that only biologically female athletes compete in women’s sports.
Essayli’s bill aims to reverse AB 1266, a 2014 law that currently allows transgender students to participate in sports and use facilities consistent with their gender identity. This law has been a point of contention, especially as federal and state-level rulings clash over the rights of transgender individuals versus the rights of women.
In a broader effort, California Republicans are mobilizing to protect the integrity of women’s sports. On January 7, Assemblymember Kate Sanchez proposed the Protect Girls’ Sports Act, which mirrors similar laws passed in 25 other states. Sanchez described the challenges young female athletes face when competing against those with biological advantages, underscoring that such policies are crucial for fairness and safety in sports.
Local controversies further fuel the debate. In Riverside, the participation of a transgender athlete in a high school girls’ cross-country team sparked backlash from parents, culminating in a lawsuit. Similarly, incidents in San Diego and other districts have led to protests over the presence of transgender students in girls’ locker rooms and sports teams.
Republican lawmakers are now introducing additional bills to restore parental control over educational environments, aiming to eliminate the promotion of transgender ideology in public schools. Assemblymember Leticia Castillo, who co-sponsored two of the new bills, framed the fight as part of a broader movement to reassert parental rights over their children’s education, describing it as essential to rebuilding trust in schools.
The introduction of these bills marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over transgender athletes and parental rights, as California Republicans push for policies that ensure fairness and protect young women from being sidelined in their own sports.