The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 this week to uphold state laws protecting women's sports from biological male participation. Twenty-seven states now have that legal backing. California, naturally, looked at the ruling and said thanks but no thanks. As USA Journal reported, Governor Gavin Newsom's office wasted no time announcing that the decision would have zero impact on how California handles things. Boys who identify as girls will continue competing against girls in the Golden State. Business as usual.
Now you might think that when a governor decides to publicly reject a Supreme Court ruling, he would at least come armed with some kind of compelling argument. A study. A white paper. Maybe even a napkin sketch of a coherent rationale. Nope. According to Fox News Digital, Newsom's office sent over a bulleted list. A literal campaign flyer titled "As a Governor, Governor Newsom has the strongest record in the country on protecting and expanding transgender rights." The highlights included making it easier to update gender markers on official documents and appointing multiple transgender judges. The list concluded by noting that California passed a law in 2013, signed by Jerry Brown, requiring transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity.
So the intellectual backbone of the governor's position is: we have been doing this for over a decade and we are very proud of ourselves. Truly devastating stuff.
Meanwhile, back in the world where biology exists, nothing about the physical advantages conferred by male puberty has changed. Bone density, lung capacity, and muscle mass do not consult government paperwork before doing their thing. Every sports physician on the planet knows this. Every coach who has watched a mediocre male athlete suddenly become a dominant female competitor knows this. Gavin Newsom almost certainly knows this too, but knowing things and caring about them are two very different activities.
California is one of 23 states without laws protecting women's sports. Rather than reconsidering that position after the highest court in the land gave states explicit permission to act, Newsom doubled down. He is not just declining to protect female athletes. He is actively celebrating the policies that put them at a disadvantage and treating it as a resume builder.
The timing here is not subtle. Newsom has been positioning himself for a 2028 presidential run with all the subtlety of a man wearing a campaign hat to a funeral. Every policy decision, every press release, every dramatic stand against federal authority is aimed at a progressive primary electorate that rewards this sort of thing. The teenage girls in California who lose scholarships, roster spots, and podium finishes along the way are apparently an acceptable cost of doing political business.
The Supreme Court gave states the green light to protect women's sports. Most took the hint. Newsom looked at it, shrugged, and sent over a brag sheet. If there was ever an argument for making these protections federal law rather than leaving them to the whims of ambitious governors, this is it. Because right now, whether California's female athletes get a fair competition depends entirely on whether it polls well in Iowa.
Read more conservative news commentary at: USA Journal News
