The U.S. Supreme Court’s transgender sports ruling Tuesday could intensify a political fight in California.
The ruling lets states ban trans girls and women from girls’ and women’s school sports if they choose.
In California, nothing is set to change.
State law still allows students to compete on sports teams that match their gender identity.
But California could start feeling more pressure.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports the Supreme Court’s decision could strengthen the Trump administration’s threat to withhold billions in federal education funding unless the state changes course.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has long cast himself as a defender of LGBTQ+ rights.
But speaking with the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk on his podcast in 2025, Newsom said trans girls competing in girls’ sports is “deeply unfair.”
A Pew Research Center poll in 2025 found 66% of U.S. adults felt similarly and supported requiring trans athletes to compete based on sex assigned at birth rather than gender identity.
Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for Newsom’s office, told NSPR that Tuesday’s decision doesn’t affect California’s laws.
“The state remains committed to ensuring every Californian, including the LGBTQ community, is met with dignity and respect,” Saldivar said.
