By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Assemblymember Kate Sanchez (R-Rancho Santa Margarita) introduced a bill on Jan 6, Assembly Bill (AB) 89, calling for the prohibition of transgender girls from participating in girls’ high school sports in California. Dubbed the “Protect Girls’ Sports Act,” the bill would require sports organizations to enforce policies limiting female sports teams to individuals assigned female at birth.

Fairness in female sports is being stripped away,” said Sanchez, referring to trans athletes as “biological males” in a video announcement. Critics argue the legislation promotes discrimination and intensifies the challenges trans students face.

Sanchez’s proposal faces steep opposition in California’s Democratic-controlled legislature and conflicts with state laws that protect transgender students’ rights. A 2013 California law ensures trans students can participate in sex-segregated activities and use facilities aligned with their gender identity, a position backed by federal court rulings.

The legislation arrives amid broader legal battles and heated debates surrounding transgender athletes in California. In one case, two high school students sued Riverside Unified School District, claiming a transgender teammate “unfairly” took their spot at a cross-country event. The controversy has fueled transphobic activism, with some students wearing anti-trans T-shirts and Republican lawmakers calling for the district superintendent’s resignation.

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San Jose State University faced scrutiny after a volleyball player joined a lawsuit opposing trans women in NCAA sports. Such incidents, along with Sanchez’s bill, highlight a growing focus among conservative activists on transgender athletes.

Advocates for trans rights, including parents and groups like Our Schools USA, have condemned the growing opposition. Daisy Gardner, a parent of an LGBTQ student, said hate campaigns have forced some trans athletes to quit sports entirely. “It’s just not right for these kids to go through this,” said one parent anonymously.

California remains one of 24 states safeguarding trans students’ participation in gender-segregated sports, making the bill’s future uncertain.

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