Copyright Newsweek
California’s support for transgender sports inclusivity may be on set to clash with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Newsweek reached out to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for comment via email. Why It Matters Sports organizations across the globe continue grappling with the question of transgender athletes. Critics have pushed for rules barring transgender women from participating alongside other women, raising questions of fairness and safety. Others, however, have argued that those policies would be unfair to transgender athletes and have accused conservatives of using the issue to attack the transgender community. The issue has become political, with conservative states implementing those rules, while more Democratic states like California allow transgender girls and women to participate based on their gender identity, sparking criticism in some instances where transgender athletes have competed. Some elected officials and political candidates in California have expressed support allowing inclusion based on gender identity—though divisions do exist among the state’s Democrats. Polls suggest that a majority of Americans oppose allowing transgender girls and women to compete with female athletes. A Pew Research Center poll from February found that 66 percent of Americans support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth. What to Know The International Olympic Committee is moving forward with rules that would prohibit transgender women from participating in female events, although it has not been formally announced, according to the British publication The Times. This is a break from current rules that allow each sport’s international federation to make its own determination. An IOC spokesperson told the BBC that a review on the matter is “continuing its discussions on this topic and no decisions have been taken yet.” If the IOC moves forward with the ban, it could lead to a cultural clash with California, a liberal bastion that is set to host the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The state currently allows transgender girls in high school to participate on female teams, though adult sports organizations can make their own rules. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, has sought to strike a more centrist approach on the issue, saying on an episode of his podcast earlier this year that he agrees there is a question of fairness. Those remarks drew criticism from other California Democrats, including state legislator Scott Wiener, who described it as “profoundly disturbing.” “Trans people are just trying to live their lives. They’re facing a level of political hostility that leads to violence and homelessness. They need their allies to stand with them — especially when it’s hard,” Wiener, who is running for Congress, wrote in a statement in March. Any decision by the IOC could reveal divisions within the state on transgender athletes. It could also loom over the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race as both Democrats and Republicans vie to replace Newsom. President Donald Trump has already called for gender testing at the Olympics in 2028. Betty Yee, a Democrat who formerly served as the state comptroller and is running for governor, told Newsweek that any decision should be left to the appropriate governing agencies, rather than the state government. “With respect to this current issue, I am not a qualified decision-maker, nor is any politician,” Yee said. “I believe it should be determined by the appropriate athletic governing agencies. The topic demands a thoughtful and deliberative approach where dignity, respect, and fairness are upheld along the way - the same foundational principles we appreciate and treasure in the world of sports.” Republican gubernatorial candidates, on the other hand, celebrated the reports. Chad Bianco, Riverside County sheriff and Republican gubernatorial candidate, told Newsweek that the fact that the IOC has to consider “such a common sense policy is absurd. “There are only two sexes. In any sport, a man competes against another man and a woman competes against another woman. It is as simple as that. Any person incapable of a common-sense, factual position on this decision has no business being in a leadership position,” he said. GOP candidate Steve Hilton also told Newsweek he agrees with the decision. “As governor of California, I will take immediate legal steps to end the obscene gender discrimination of allowing biological boys and men to compete in female sports. That's not equity, it’s injustice. It strips young women of their hard-earned opportunities, scholarships, and dignity. Girls’ sports exist for a reason: to give girls a level playing field,” he said. IOC President Kirsty Coventry has voiced support for policies addressing transgender athletes, a shift from the organization's current stance. “There was overwhelming support that we should protect the female category. And with that, we will set up a working group made up of experts and international federations,” she said in June, according to The Guardian. What People Are Saying Yee also told Newsweek: “We all want competitive sports to be fair. Our country has long fought legal, political, and social battles to make sure people of different races, ethnicities, and genders are treated fairly in the field of play.” Olympian Sharron Davies wrote to X: “About time! Males not allowed in sport for females at the Olympics. Now it’s imperative all females are treated with the same respect. No males in any sport for females. It’s simply cheating. Misogyny, Unfair & often unsafe.” Alejandra Caraballo, an instructor at Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic, wrote to BlueSky: “The International Olympic Committee is set to ban trans and intersex women from competition. This is despite the fact that for 20 years, the IOC has allowed trans athletes to compete and only 1 has ever competed and none have ever won a medal.” What Happens Next The IOC’s final policies on transgender athletes have not been announced. The Winter Olympic Games are set to be held in Italy in February 2026.
