California Governor Gavin Newsom has reignited controversy within the LGBTQ+ community by claiming it isn’t “homophobic” to oppose transgender girls participating in school sports—comments that have drawn sharp criticism for misgendering and for aligning with conservative rhetoric.
In a lengthy interview with conservative podcaster Shawn Ryan, Newsom reflected on his legacy, including his bold move to allow same-sex marriages as San Francisco mayor in 2004. He described how his own Democratic Party at the time reacted with hostility.
“I completely, yeah, just crushed by my own party, outraged by what I had done,” Newsom said. “It was not supported back then. And I thought it was the right thing to do and I’m proud of that because I saw the human face.”
Yet, Newsom shifted tone when discussing transgender rights in sport, suggesting trans inclusion in athletics is fundamentally different to the battle for marriage equality.
“When you get to the issues around sports, trans issues? That’s now no longer about celebrating your rights, it’s about denying other people theirs,” he said.
“Your child may not have that same opportunity to get on the podium if a trans athlete is competing for that limited spot.”
‘It Wasn’t Fair’
Newsom said he used to believe conservative outrage over trans athletes was exaggerated. That changed, he claimed, after witnessing a viral video of a high school track meet in California involving a transgender athlete.
“We had a trans athlete that was successful and there was a video of the girl that lost and she was devastated,” he said. “Man, that wasn’t fair.”
He referred to the cisgender girl simply as “the girl” while calling the transgender girl a “trans child”, suggesting he does not view the trans girl as female. He said both athletes dropped out of their teams due to media attention.
“Because you oppose sports does not make you a bigot, doesn’t make you homophobic,” he insisted. “And my party needs to stop saying that.”
He further argued that Democrats pushing back against concerns over trans inclusion in sports are alienating supporters.
“Even support for marriage equality is declining now,” Newsom said, referencing recent polling. “They’ve been really effective weaponising it… and it’s hurting the broader movement.”
No Rebuttal to Anti-Trans Talking Points
The conversation veered further into misinformation when host Shawn Ryan accused blue states of “taking kids away from parents” who oppose gender-affirming care. Newsom did not dispute the claim, which is demonstrably false.
When asked if eight is “too young” for a child to transition, Newsom—whose own child recently turned nine—replied:
“Yeah… come on man, I get it, so those are legit.”
It was unclear whether Newsom understood that pre-pubescent transitioning does not involve medical intervention, but rather social transitioning, such as using a new name or pronouns.
He said he doesn’t fully grasp the science of gender-affirming care but acknowledged he’s met families who say it saved their child’s life.
“Look, I come to this very much more open-minded than I’ve ever been,” he said, before pivoting again to sport, calling the issue of children “a tough, tough issue.”
A Pattern of Waffling
This isn’t Newsom’s first controversial stance on trans athletes. In March, he told conservative activist Charlie Kirk that allowing trans girls to compete was “deeply unfair”.
“He brought it up,” Newsom said. “He said, ‘Tell me that’s not fair!’ and I said, ‘It’s not fair, you’re right!’”
While California law currently protects trans athletes’ rights to participate in school sports—a protection in place since 2013—Newsom referred to it in the interview as a “challenge”. The Biden administration has since filed a lawsuit against the state over its noncompliance with federal directives on gender equity in sport.
Newsom said President Biden commented on the situation with:
“He told me, ‘You got abortion, I got this’… Politics. Politics!”
