Newsom backs rule change after Trump threatens to pull funding over transgender athlete

[SouthBayDem]

Source: Politico

SACRAMENTO, California — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday welcomed the decision by a school athletics group to expand the number of high school athletes eligible to compete in a track and field meet, which came after a strong showing by a transgender student drew anger and a threat of funding cuts from President Donald Trump.

Under the new rules set out abruptly by the California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school sports, athletes who were identified at birth as female and fell one spot short of making the cut for the upcoming statewide championship at qualifying meets around the state will now be allowed to compete.

The move came after Trump posted a social media screed that appeared to target a transgender high school athlete from Riverside County who won regional competitions in long jump and triple jump earlier this month and is set to compete in the state championships.

“CIF’s proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness,” Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, said in a statement. “The Governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach.”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/27/newsom-transgender-athlete-00371572

---

The CIF statement, specifically the part about the new compromise rule:

Under this pilot entry process, any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet, was extended an opportunity to participate in the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships. The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes.

Yet so far, public opinion is pretty sour on this, indicating that attempting to compromise with the anti-trans side was always a fool's errand.