California Governor Gavin Newsom has said it is “deeply unfair” to allow transgender women and girls to compete in female sports, marking a shift from many elected Democrats.
Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, made the remarks on his new podcast, This is Gavin Newsom, during a discussion with conservative figure Charlie Kirk.
“I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that,” Newsom said. “It is an issue of fairness, it’s deeply unfair. We’ve got to own that. We’ve got to acknowledge it.”
His comments come as Democrats debate the role of cultural issues in their defeat in November’s elections, when Republicans secured the White House and both chambers of Congress.
A number of Democrats criticised Newsom’s remarks.
“We woke up profoundly sickened and frustrated by these remarks,” California’s LGBT legislative caucus said in a statement.
Our Chair and Vice Chair released the following statement on Governor Gavin Newsom’s anti-transgender remarks: pic.twitter.com/J0VxvXSQrr
— California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus (@calgbt) March 6, 2025
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the comments “disgusting,” while Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said the party should not “take the bait and give into their anti-trans people rhetoric.”
Senator Sasha Renee Perez also criticised Newsom’s stance, stating that “trans women athletes who represent 10 of 510,000 college athletes in the USA.”
Shocked Gov. Newsom would join the obsession with trans women athletes who represent 10 of 510,000 college athletes in the USA. Republican solutions to ‘regulate’ this include having coaches monitor children’s menstrual cycles or performing genital exams. Stay away from our kids. https://t.co/QpxlD12BhV
— Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (@SashaReneePerez) March 7, 2025
However, some Democrats agreed with Newsom’s stance.
Seth Moulton, a moderate Democrat from Massachusetts, told Politico that Newsom was “correct, and polling shows it.” A January survey by The New York Times/Ipsos found that nearly 70% of Democrats and almost all Republicans opposed allowing transgender female athletes to compete in women’s sports.
Newsom, who has been a strong advocate for LGBT rights throughout his career, previously positioned himself to the left of his party on these issues. As San Francisco mayor in 2004, he ordered the city to issue same-sex marriage licences despite state and federal restrictions at the time.
As governor, he signed legislation making California the first sanctuary state for transgender youth and banned school districts from requiring staff to notify parents if a child changed gender identity.
During the podcast, Newsom also acknowledged broader political challenges for his party, referring to a viral Trump campaign ad with the tagline: “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.”
“It was devastating,” he said. “And she didn’t even react to it, which was even more devastating.”
Kirk argued that Democrats are out of touch with everyday voters due to their broad support for transgender athletes in sports.
“I revere sports,” Newsom responded. “So, the issue of fairness is completely legit.”
