The whole American political establishment – Democrat and Republican – are complicit in the election of Trump. Democrat support for the crazy/unpopular policy of men identifying into women’s sport is just one symptom. Maybe this is an early sign of a potential course correction. pic.twitter.com/Uh9zOM0Sbm
— Sonia Sodha (@soniasodha) March 6, 2025
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California Governor Gavin Newsom has broken with many elected Democrats by saying he thinks it is "deeply unfair" to allow transgender women and girls to compete in female sports.
Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential contender who leads one of the most liberal states in the US and has long been a trailblazer on LGBT rights, made the comments on his new podcast.
"I think it's an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that," Newsom told conservative figure Charlie Kirk. "It is an issue of fairness, it's deeply unfair. We've got to own that. We've got to acknowledge it."
Newsom's change of tone comes amid a debate within his party over the extent to which cultural factors played a role in their resounding defeat in November, when Republicans won the White House and both chambers of Congress.
Note how the problem is framed (by the BBC here) as banning trans people from female sport. The issue is: banning men from female sport – but they never say that.
Anyway, other Dems don't seem too keen. Apart from Newsom, they've learnt nothing.
A number of Democrats quickly denounced the governor's comments.
"We woke up profoundly sickened and frustrated by these remarks," a statement from California's LGBT legislative caucus read….
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called Newsom's remarks about trans athletes "disgusting".
Pramila Jayapal, a left-wing Democrat representing a district in the north-western state of Washington, told Politico that her party should not "take the bait and give into their anti-trans people rhetoric".
Newsom makes a strange champion of sex realism, mind:
Newsom made the state the first sanctuary for transgender youth and protected school curriculums that included LGBT history.
Last year he signed legislation that made California the first state to bar school districts from requiring staff to notify parents if their child changed gender identity.
Making an early bid for leader of the Dems? Well, at least he's now woken up and smelled the coffee, however cynical his move may be. And there doesn't seem to be anyone else. Kamala Harris has disappeared off the face of the earth. Tim Walz was stumped yesterday when CNN asks him who leads the Democratic party….
Mick Hartley 
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