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California Rejects Bills to Restrict Transgender Athletes and Bathroom Access

The Democratic-majority legislature voted against Republican-backed proposals as divisions within the party and national tensions on transgender rights persist.

FILE - Republican Assembly members Tom Lackey, of Palmdale, left, and Bill Essayli, of Riverside, huddle at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., July 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
A group with Women Are Real and Independent Council on Women’s Sports disrupts a San Jose State women’s volleyball game with a banner as the team competes against UNLV in San Jose in October. San Jose State had a transgender volleyball player on its squad and some teams chose to forfeit rather than play the Spartans.
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Overview

  • The California State Assembly rejected two Republican-backed bills that sought to ban transgender girls from girls' sports and enforce bathroom use based on sex assigned at birth.
  • Governor Gavin Newsom's recent comments on the fairness of transgender athlete participation have fueled debate, though he has not explicitly endorsed a ban or taken a position on the proposed legislation.
  • The Assembly hearings featured testimony from activists, lawmakers, and public figures, including conservative commentator Matt Walsh, who supported the bills, and LGBTQ advocates who opposed them.
  • The debate highlighted divisions within the Democratic Party, with some members grappling with balancing fairness in sports and protecting transgender rights.
  • California’s decision comes as at least 24 states have enacted similar restrictions, and federal directives under President Trump continue to apply pressure on state-level policies.