California, Trump and the battle over transgender athletes
The intense scrutiny of teenage transgender athletes in California intensified this week as the U.S. Justice Department announced it was investigating the state for allowing them to participate in girls' sports and President Trump threatened to cut federal funding over the issue.
My colleagues Kevin Rector, Brittny Mejia and Howard Blume reported that the Justice Department is investigating whether California, its interscholastic sports federation, and the Jurupa Unified School District are violating the rights of cisgender high school girls by allowing trans athletes to compete alongside them.
The department also threw its support behind a pending lawsuit alleging similar violations of girls' rights in the Riverside Unified School District, said U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, who oversees much of the Los Angeles region, and Assistant Atty. Gen. Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
The announcements came one day after Trump threatened to cut federal funding to the state if it continued to allow trans athletes to compete in women's sports.
In a Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom — whom he called 'Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum' — saying that under his leadership, the state 'continues to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS.''
The president referenced 'a transitioned Male athlete' who 'won 'everything,' and is now qualified to compete in the 'State Finals' next weekend.'
My colleagues Blume, Hannah Fry, Steve Henson and Taryn Luna reported that Trump appeared to be referencing a transgender Jurupa Valley High School junior who won the girls' long jump and triple jump during the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters Meet last week.
Trump said he would be 'ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!'
The California Interscholastic Federation, which oversees sports at more than 1,500 high schools, announced that it would expand the number of athletes eligible to compete in the upcoming state championship.
Under the new rules announced Tuesday, cisgender female athletes who fell one sport short of qualifying for the state track meet will be allowed to compete in the championship. Transgender athletes are not disqualified from participating.
The state track meet begins Friday in Clovis. The city's mayor pro tem, Diane Pearce, wrote on Facebook that the new rules showed that CIF officials 'know they're in the wrong' and that 'we must keep up the pressure!' Earlier this week, Pearce criticized the competition of 'a biological male' in the event.
Newsom praised the CIF rules.
'CIF's proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing,' said Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, in a statement. 'The governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach.'
The Democratic governor— an outspoken champion of LGBTQ+ rights since he was mayor of San Francisco — called trans athletes' participation in women's sports 'deeply unfair' during a podcast interview in March, splitting from many in his party on an issue that Republicans capitalized on during the presidential election.
Trump has repeatedly targeted transgender rights during his first four months back in the White House.
The president issued an executive order barring the federal government from recognizing genders other than male or female. And he has pushed to ban transgender Americans from the U.S. military, writing in an executive order that transgender identity is a 'falsehood' inconsistent with the 'humility and selflessness required of a service member.' The Supreme Court this month cleared the way for that ban to take effect.
In February, Trump signed an executive order titled 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports,' which gave federal agencies the ability to penalize schools for allowing transgender athletes to compete — something the Trump administration says violates Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sexual discrimination.
What else is going on
Karen says, 'Murphys in Calaveras County.'Pasqual says, 'Mendocino.'
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
Today's great photo is from Times photographer Christina House on the set of 'Everybody's Live With John Mulaney' with actor Richard Kind.
Hailey Branson-Potts, staff reporterKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew Campa, Sunday writerKarim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
22 minutes ago
- Axios
U.S. has "no interest" in putting troops on the ground in Iran, Vance says
Vice President Vance said Sunday that the United States doesn't plan to send ground troops into Iran and there is "no interest" in engaging in a "protracted conflict" with the nation. The big picture: Vance and other Trump administration officials appeared on Sunday shows to praise President Trump 's decision to carry out a series of airstrikes against three Iranian nuclear sites, while reassuring Americans that the mission — dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer — isn't the launching point for a wider conflict. Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Vance called the mission a "precise, a very surgical strike tailored to an American national interest" — preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon — and that he had "no fear" of a drawn-out conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the sentiment on CBS' "Face the Nation," saying that there are no plans from the U.S. to engage in further attacks on Iran unless they "mess around" and attack Americans or U.S. military sites. What they're saying: Rubio said Sunday that the U.S. carried out the attack after efforts to negotiate with Iran stalled, but that Trump administration officials are "prepared to talk to them tomorrow." Both men also dismissed the notion that the U.S. is at war with Iran, with Vance stating that the war is with Iran's nuclear program. "We destroyed the Iranian nuclear program. I think we set that program back substantially," Vance told NBC News' Kristen Welker. Zoom out: Vance and Rubio were unable to confirm the extent of the damage done to the nuclear sites, but Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told CNN that the strike was a "betrayal of diplomacy." "No one knows what will happen next, but what is sure is that the responsibility of the consequences of this war must be borne by the United States and Israel," he said. Bagahei refused to say how Iran might respond to the U.S. strike, but said the nation is entitled to "exercise its right of self-defense."
CNN
23 minutes ago
- CNN
Dem. Senator Adam Schiff says 'we simply don't know' if US is safer after Iran strikes
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff speaks to Kasie Hunt about the congressional response to President Trump's order to strike Iran.
The Hill
23 minutes ago
- The Hill
Iran reportedly moves to close Strait of Hormuz after US attacks
The Iranian Parliament has approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint, after the United States bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, according to the Iranian state media on Sunday. While the Parliament has voted in favor of closing the strait, the final decision rests with the country's Supreme National Security Council, according to state media. Closing the strait, located between Iran and Oman, could have serious implications for both the global and U.S. economy. President Trump on Saturday night announced that the U.S. had bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, engaging U.S. forces in a war that Israel launched two weeks ago. In a brief address on Saturday night, the president warned of continued U.S. attacks on Iran if 'peace does not come quickly.' U.S. bombs targeted three nuclear sites in Natanz, Esfahan and Fordow, located inside a mountain. Six 'bunker buster' bombs were reportedly dropped on Fordow, while more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles were launched at the other two sites. The administration has argued the strikes were a monumental success, but it is currently unclear how much the sites were damaged or how long it has set back Iran's nuclear program. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said the U.S. 'decided to blow up diplomacy' to end fighting with Israel by joining strikes against the country late Saturday night. Aragaci further warned of 'everlasting consequences.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on China to encourage Iran not to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. 'I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil,' Rubio said on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.'
