Newsom: Biological Men Competing in Women’s Sports Is a Small Issue That’s Weaponized, But ‘No One’ Has the Answer

During an interview set to air on Friday’s edition of “The Issue Is,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) stated that the issue of biological men competing in women’s sports is not a large issue and he doesn’t “like the weaponization” and “the assault on the community.” But “No one” has the answer on how to handle the issue.

Host Elex Michaelson asked, “[O]n the issue of sports…I know you point out the fact that this actually isn’t that big of an issue statistically in the state. But politically, clearly, it’s a big issue for a lot of people. There was a new poll that came out that showed that 70% of people don’t think it’s fair for people to be in sports without the gender they’re assigned to at birth. How does the state handle that?”

Newsom responded, “Never has so much attention been — so few people, never has more attention ever been placed. I’ve not, in my 30, 40 years of sort of deeper consciousness around social issues, I’ve never seen more attention paid to so few people. I just asked my staff a simple question, I said, the NCAA, I imagine there [are] hundreds, maybe thousands of trans athletes. There must be, for all the amount of attention and scrutiny that’s being provided. It turns out there are about 520,000 NCAA athletes, 226,000 or so are women. There’s a handful, 35 or so. I mean, put it in perspective. I get why people are fearful. I get why people — and I intimately understand it, I’ve got four young kids that are deeply involved in sports. I understand that. Again, you approach it with some humility and sensitivity, with some humanity. These kids are more likely than anything else to commit suicide. There, [but] for the grace of God go any of us as caregivers or parents.”

He continued, “I don’t like the weaponization that — the assault on the community. And so, it’s finding some common ground. And the State of California, in 2013 established…a framework, a foundation, in terms of fundamental rights for trans women, trans men to participate in sports. The Biden administration is trying to find some flexibility, and that’s been a rulemaking process that’s been wildly controversial.”

Newsom concluded, “In trying to approximate the answer to your question, I don’t have the answer to the question. No one does.”

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