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CBS News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Petition calls for California to end policy allowing transgender students to compete in girls' sports
Some female high school athletes want an end to a policy that allows transgender athletes to compete in girls' sports, claiming it has created unfair competition. "Right here, right now, we are hand-delivering a petition signed by 20,074 people," California Family Council outreach director Sophia Lorey said. Female high school athletes, their families and supporters brought a petition to a California Interscholastic Federation meeting in Costa Mesa on Friday. The California Family Council organized the petition and a rally outside the meeting. On its website, the council wrote that its mission is "advancing God's design for life, family and liberty through California's church, capitol and culture." Among the athletes was Taylor Starling, who sued the Riverside Unified School District, claiming she was demoted from the varsity cross country team when a transgender student took her spot. "Girls like me are being told to smile, sit down and be quiet and give up what we've worked so hard for," Starling said. "And now, we're the ones being excluded from our own teams. Girls' sports were made to give us a level playing field. Right now, that's not happening in the state of California." Last month, CIF rules were changed at the state track and field championships, where Jurupa Valley High School transgender athlete AB Hernandez competed. Prior to the meet, a new policy was put in place allowing an additional female student to compete and medal in events where Hernandez had qualified. In a news release, a state spokesperson said CIF made the decision to pilot an entry process. "When girls are forced to share the starting line, the locker room or the podium with males, that's not inclusion," Lorey said. "It's injustice and California girls are paying the price." CIF said its mission is to provide students with the opportunity to belong and compete in compliance with the law, irrespective of the gender listed on the student's records.
Fox News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
'Save Girls Sports' rally rocks California sports league meeting amid state's trans athlete battle vs Trump
Print Close By Jackson Thompson Published June 20, 2025 California's conflict over trans athletes is heating up this summer. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)'s executive committee meeting was met by a swath of loud protesters on Friday. The state's growing "Save Girls Sports" contingency, led by the California Family Council, showed up outside the meeting with t-shirts, signs and even a podium for a press conference. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Multiple female athletes, parents and state education officials spoke out against the CIF and Governor Gavin Newsom for the policies that have allowed trans athletes to compete in girls' sports, sparking several controversies in the state over the past year alone. California Family Council and outreach director Sophia Lorey also boasted a petition at the event, which has at least 20,074 signatures of Californians urging the CIF and Newsom to change the state's gender eligibility policies. Martin Luther King High School students Taylor Starling and Kaitlyn Slavin, who have filed a lawsuit against the Riverside Unified School District over a situation involving a trans student at their school, headlined the athlete speakers. Starling shared her story of losing her varsity spot on the cross-country team to the trans athlete, while having her "Save Girls Sports" t-shirts compared to swastikas. TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND "This isn't fair, girls like me are being told to sit down, smile and be quiet, and give up what we worked so hard for, and now we're the ones being excluded from our own teams," Starling said. Slavin spoke in support of her teammate Starling. "An example of this negative domino effect is Taylor's mental health now being affected, leading to her family being affected," Slavin said. "With Taylor being one of my best friends, I am now upset but also confused about how this is even allowed. Now my family is being affected, trying to be there for me, but also having to step up and do their part to make a change." California filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department earlier this month after officials demanded that the state's public high schools confirm they will bar transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. The state said in its lawsuit that the Justice Department had "no right to make such a demand" and cited "no authority which would allow them to issue or enforce the Certification Demand Letter" to each local education agency. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP California defended the laws that have come into question, which allow athletes to participate in sports "consistent with" their gender identity and doesn't violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The DOJ initially announced an investigation into the CIF for its state policies in late May, leading up to the girls' track and field state championship that featured trans athlete AB Hernandez competing in several events in the female category. The DOJ's announcement of that investigation cited Starling and Slavin's lawsuit. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Print Close URL
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
California girl athletes to rally at sports league meeting to fight trans athlete law after track season chaos
California girls, their families and other activists will march to the offices of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Friday to protest the state's laws that allow biologically male trans athletes to compete in girls sports. The protest was organized by the California Family Council, which announced the rally in a press release Thursday. Multiple female athletes will speak at a press conference at the event, including Taylor Starling, Kaitlyn Slavin and Celeste Duyst. Starling and Slavin are engaged in a lawsuit against their school district, the Riverside Unified School District, after a trans athlete took Starling's varsity cross-country spot last fall, and they allege school administrators compared their "Save Girls Sports" T-shirts to swastikas. Duyst went viral for a speech she gave at a Lucia Mar Unified School District board meeting in April, where she cried while recounting having to share a locker room with a trans athlete before track practice. "This is about justice," California Family Council Outreach Director Sophia Lorey said in the press release. "Girls across California are being sidelined by policies that ignore biological reality. CIF must answer for that." The rally will come weeks after the state was rocked by the presence of a trans athlete at the CIF track and field championships, where Jurupa Valley High School's transgender student AB Hernandez took first place in the high jump and triple jump. President Donald Trump sent a message to the state in the week leading up to the event, warning of potential federal funding cuts if a trans athlete was allowed to compete in the girls championship. The CIF amended its rules to allow girls who finish behind a trans athlete to be elevated to the spot they would have finished otherwise, but Hernandez was still allowed to compete. Girls who finished behind Hernandez in the championships then had to share the same podium spot with the trans athlete during medal ceremonies. Trump then vowed to impose "large-scale fines" on the state of California for allowing a biological male trans athlete to win multiple girls state titles on June 3. "A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so. As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. The Department of Justice announced a federal probe of California over potential Title IX violations regarding its policy allowing trans athletes in girls sports in late May. The state had already been under a Department of Education investigation over the issue since February. The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the U.S. Department of Justice sending a letter warning of a June 9 deadline to amend its policies to bar trans athletes from girls sports. "We're very concerned with the Trump administration's ongoing threats to California schools and remain committed to defending and upholding California laws and all additional laws which ensure the rights of students — including transgender students — to be free from discrimination and harassment. We are reviewing the letter and closely monitoring the Trump administration's actions in this space," the statement said. A bipartisan survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found the majority of California residents oppose biological male trans athletes competing in women's sports. That figure included more than 70% of the state's school parents. "Most Californians support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth," the poll stated. "Solid majorities of adults (65%) and likely voters (64%) support requiring that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with. An overwhelming majority of public school parents (71%) support such a requirement." Newsom said trans athletes competing in girls sports was "deeply unfair" during an episode of his podcast in March. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
New York Post
11-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
California track meet turns to political rally over trans athletes as schools speak out vs. state
A girls' track meet in California was turned into a political rally on Saturday amid a growing controversy over a trans athlete who has dominated in the girls' high-jump, long-jump and triple-jump this season. The rally came less than two days after three of the state's esteemed Christian high schools sent a letter to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) challenging its longstanding policy that allows biological males in girls' sports. Advertisement JSerra Catholic High School, Orange Lutheran High School and Crean Lutheran High School sent a joint letter to the CIF Thursday, referencing the trans athlete who competed in Saturday's state semifinal prelims. 'For young women, CIF's Gender Identity Policy means lost opportunities and an unlevel playing field. The consequences of this Policy will be felt this weekend as CIF's state semi-final competitions for track and field events take place. Star female athletes, some of whom attend our schools, will soon compete in multiple track and field events against a male athlete who self-identifies as a female,' the letter read. 'CIF's Gender Identity Policy also fosters an environment that is increasingly hostile to religious member schools. CIF's expectation that all faith-based schools facilitate the CIF Gender Identity Policy puts religious schools in the untenable position of adhering to the tenets of their faith in their classrooms and communities but practicing something contrary to their faith on their athletic fields.' 4 A transgender high school athlete competes in the girls high jump at a recent California high school track and field event. Sophia Lorey/X Advertisement The letter went on to suggest that some of the female athletes competing for the three Christian schools considered not competing against the trans athlete in Saturday's semifinal prelims. And then prior to Saturday's meet at Yorba Linda High School, multiple girls' athletes, parents and school officials spoke at a press conference organized by California Family Council outreach director Sophia Lorey. 'No matter how hard we train, how many hours we put in, reality will always set in that men and women are different,' said Olivia Viola of Crean Lutheran. 'To me, this just doesn't seem fair. CIF is doing nothing to protect us female athletes.' The CIF is currently under investigation by the US Department of Education for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports, and potential Title IX violations. Advertisement 4 California Family Council outreach director Sophia Lorey addresses the crowd at the rally outside the track meet on May 10, 2025. Sophia Lorey/X California was one of the first states to openly defy President Donald Trump's 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports' executive order after he signed it on Feb. 5. 'The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which permits students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with the student's gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student's records,' the CIF previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital. California Governor Gavin Newsom said during an episode of his podcast that he believes trans athletes competing with girls is 'deeply unfair.' But the governor still justified policies that enable it for the sake of empathy for the trans community. Advertisement 4 High school athletes speak out against transgender athlete's in female sports at the protest. Sophia Lorey/X The state has seen multiple controversies erupt over the past year regarding the issue, and many other residents and even some schools are taking stands against the state officials enforcing the inclusion policies. The Redlands Unified school board in San Bernardino voted in late April to adopt a new policy that would keep transgender athletes out of girls' sports. A bipartisan survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found that the majority of California residents oppose biological male trans athletes competing in women's sports. That figure included more than 70% of the state's school parents. 4 Parents take part in the protest against the California Interscholastic Federation's policies. Sophia Lorey/X 'Most Californians support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth,' the poll stated. 'Solid majorities of adults (65%) and likely voters (64%) support requiring that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with. An overwhelming majority of public school parents (71%) support such a requirement.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California legislators reject two bills banning transgender women in female sports
The Brief Both AB 89 & 844 failed in committee in the California Legislature. Gov. Newsom recently said trans women in female sports is 'unfair'. Proponents vow to continue fighting to keep trans women out of female sports. SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Two bills that would've banned transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports were rejected on Tuesday in the state legislature. With Democrats holding the majority, both bills failed as committee members voted along party lines. A local political analyst says this vote not only clarified how most voters in California feel, but it was also a message to President Trump about his agenda. "This was framed, very much, as something being done in opposition to the Trump Dept. of Education," said Melissa Michelson, Menlo College Political Science professor. After Assembly Bills 89 and 844 were defeated on Tuesday, political analyst Melissa Michelson says Democrats are pushing back on President Trump's educational agenda, which they say would abandon transgender rights, even with the threat of losing federal funding. "For Democrats, they just see this as a win. They can position themselves as the party of opposition, blocking the Trump agenda. Also, being in community with transgender people," said Michelson. What they're saying "In Nazi Germany, transgender people were persecuted and barred from public life," said Rick Chavez Zbur, Democratric Assembly member from Los Angeles. Tuesday morning in Sacramento, legislators debated the issue and listened to testimony for hours before taking a vote. Sophia Lorey, a spokesperson for the California Family Council, testified during the hearing and sent KTVU this statement, saying in part: "Today, they didn't just kill a bill. They sent a message to every female athlete that her safety, privacy and fairness don't matter," said Lorey. Gov. Newsom also recently called having trans women in female sports 'deeply unfair' while on a podcast. Still, advocates for the gay and trans community believe the bills are a deflection from the issues Californians care most about. "Dealing with rising healthcare costs, dealing with public safety concerns. Instead, they're focusing on a statistically tiny number of students who just want to play sports alongside their teammates, just like any other kid would," said Tom Temprano, Managing Director for Equality California. What's next The California Family Council says this fight isn't over. They plan to support another bill for girls' rights in sports authored by Assembly member Shannon Grove and do what they can to get it to the Senate floor for a vote this year. The Source Equality CA, CA Family Council, LegiScan, KCRA, previous KTVU reporting
