California Democrats want state to hold the line on transgender rights: ‘We can’t bend the knee’

Transgender participant athlete AB Hernandez center flashes a sign as she shares the first-place spot on the podium with Jillene Wetteland left and Lelani Laruelle during a medal ceremony for the high jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis on May At right is third-place finisher Julia Teven Photo by Jae C Hong Associated Press California lawmakers announced the state should stand up to President Donald Trump after his threat to impose large-scale fines on the state over transgender attendee athletes We can t bend the knee Rep Ro Khanna recounted NOTUS You have to take it to court if we need to and make sure that we don t get intimidated I think this is part of a regime overreach Trump attacks any state university or institution he dislikes A transgender high school novice won two events over the weekend at a statewide track and field event sharing the first-place wins with cisgender competitors The Trump administration commented Monday that by allowing trans participant athletes to participate in sporting pursuits the California Interscholastic Federation was allowing discrimination against cisgender athletes The Department of Justice accused the federation a statewide institution that organizes sporting competitions between school districts of potentially violating the equal protection clause and the president threatened fines 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 Tuesday on Truth Social California lawmakers revealed that Trump s attacks are part of a retribution campaign for a state he sees as unfriendly to him politically They announced they stand for LGBTQ youth in the state I think California should unfailingly be a state that supports all people we have a long history of supporting the LGBTQ region Rep Robert Garcia informed NOTUS I don t think that attacking trans youth is the way to go and I think we should stick to supporting everyone in the state Other Democrats noted Trump requirements to stop focusing on California policies He s wading into state issues and he has larger issues that he himself created and that are tanking the business activity Rep Sydney Kamlager-Dove noted He requirements to get over it or run for governor Rep Jimmy Gomez called the whole matter nonsense People in California didn t care and it s just this guy trying to make this into an issue Gomez announced We will stand for the people who live in our state California Democrats are in a tough spot when it comes to dealing with Trump s White House Multiple in the delegation believe they need to be the tip of the spear when it comes to leading an opposition to Trump s policies But the state necessities federal funds including tragedy aid to help the long-term recovery of Southern California after unprecedented wildfires earlier this year California freshman Rep Sam Liccardo disclosed there might not be a large number of alternatives left when it comes to negotiating with Trump I m not sure there s much of a relationship to maintain here Liccardo stated The days of thinking that there was going to be a relationship to maintain are in the past On Tuesday Gov Gavin Newsom backed the California Interscholastic Federation s contemporary rule that allows transgender female athletes to compete in events but adds a spot for another cisgender female athlete as well This is a pivot from when earlier this year Newsom attracted backlash from the California congressional delegation after saying he wholly agreed with right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk on the issue of trans athletes This is all a pretext on Trump s part to attack our state Sen Adam Schiff narrated NOTUS This just seems to be a deliberate anti-California campaign This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS a publication from the nonprofit nonpartisan Allbritton Journalism Institute and NEWSWELL home of Times of San Diego Santa Barbara News-Press and Stocktonia