California lawmakers rejected two Republican-sponsored bills on Tuesday aimed at limiting transgender high school athletes’ participation in girls’ and women’s sports. The decision came after hours of passionate testimony in the state Capitol, where Democrats hold a supermajority, making the outcome expected.
The two bills, Assembly Bill 89 and Assembly Bill 844, proposed by Assemblymembers Kate Sanchez and Bill Essayli respectively, sought to restrict transgender athletes from competing in sports consistent with their gender identity. Assembly Bill 89 would have required the California Interscholastic Federation to prohibit students assigned male at birth from participating in girls’ sports, while Assembly Bill 844 aimed to mandate the use of facilities matching students’ sex assigned at birth.
Despite the heated debate, the bills were ultimately quashed by the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism, chaired by Assemblymember Christopher Ward. According to the Los Angeles Times, the hearing drew a large crowd, including athletes, parents, and educators, who voiced their opinions both for and against the legislation.
The issue of transgender athletes in sports has been a contentious topic nationwide, with Republicans portraying it as an example of “woke” politics. President Trump has frequently cited the issue, and his administration issued an executive order threatening to withhold federal funds from educational programs that do not provide fair athletic opportunities for women and girls.
Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, added complexity to the debate by expressing his belief that transgender participation in female sports is “deeply unfair,” a statement that Republicans used to challenge their Democratic counterparts. However, the New York Times reported that Newsom did not publicly comment on the bills themselves.
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur highlighted the vulnerability of transgender students, emphasizing the importance of not using them as political tools. The rejection of the bills underscores the ongoing division in California and across the nation regarding transgender rights in sports.
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