This week on The Ezra Klein Present, a podcast hosted by The New York Instances, California Gov. Gavin Newsom mentioned he’s signed extra pro-transgender payments into legislation than any governor.
“I need to see trans youngsters,” mentioned Newsom, a Democrat. “I’ve a trans godson. There’s no governor who has signed extra pro-trans laws than I’ve. Nobody has been a stronger advocate for the LGBTQ group.”
His assertion about pro-trans laws is probably going true, particularly given the amount of such laws in California.
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Not all states observe laws this fashion, and most nationwide teams observe state by state however not by governor. However primarily based on LGBTQ+ group Equality California’s database of laws it has backed, plus The Advocate’s reporting, we rely 47 pro-LGBTQ+ payments Newsom has signed into legislation since taking workplace in 2019, of which 21 particularly benefited transgender individuals. A lot of the typically pro-LGBTQ+ payments profit trans individuals as properly.
Among the many particularly pro-trans payments are one making California a sanctuary state for out-of-state younger individuals and their households looking for gender-affirming care; one stopping academics from being pressured to out trans college students to their households; a number of addressing identify and gender adjustments on official paperwork, both easing the method, assuring utilization, or defending confidentiality; and one requiring single-user restrooms to be labeled all-gender.
He has vetoed some pro-trans payments, resembling, this 12 months, one that may have required an inclusive view of gender in well being schooling courses. He mentioned the laws ought to wait till a state examine of well being curricula was achieved.
A number of different Democratic governors are deeply supportive of trans individuals, resembling Jared Polis of Colorado, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Tina Kotek of Oregon, Janet Mills of Maine, Tony Evers of Wisconsin, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tim Walz of Minnesota, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Laura Kelly of Kansas — and there are a number of extra. Some have signed pro-trans payments into legislation, however their states haven’t seen such a quantity of laws to guard the rights of the trans group, and in some circumstances, they’ve vetoed anti-trans payments. Those that’ve achieved so embody Evers, Beshear, and Kelly, with Beshear’s and Kelly’s vetoes overridden by Republican-majority legislatures.
Newsom outraged many trans individuals and their supporters, nonetheless, together with his feedback this 12 months on a podcast with right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Newsom mentioned letting trans women and girls compete in sports activities alongside cisgender females is “deeply unfair.” Newsom has repeated that a couple of occasions, together with within the interview with Klein.
“You must accommodate the truth of these whose rights are being taken away as we advance the rights of the trans group, when it comes to the equity of athletic competitors,” he mentioned. “And I simply suppose that’s not a bigoted place. And it’s an instance of among the issues I’ve been saying about being judgmental, dismissing individuals, throwing that individual out of the celebration.”
However there isn’t any proof that trans feminine athletes have an inherent benefit over their cisgender counterparts, and there are various different components in addition to gender assigned at start that have an effect on athletic efficiency.
Nonetheless, Newsom has typically stood up for trans athletes. He has resisted the Trump administration’s pressures on the state to rescind its trans-inclusive faculty sports activities coverage.
The interview with Klein additionally set off one other skirmish in Newsom’s feud with right-wing billionaire Elon Musk. Musk has a trans daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, who has minimize ties with him. Musk repeatedly deadnames and misgenders her.
Musk’s political motion committee, America PAC, shared a clip of Klein’s interview with Newsom on the social media platform Musk owns, X (previously Twitter). Newsom’s press workplace responded by resharing the submit with the remark “We’re sorry your daughter hates you, Elon.” Musk replied by deadnaming and misgendering her once more, saying she “has a tragic psychological sickness brought on by the evil woke thoughts virus you push on susceptible youngsters.” We can’t share the latter submit due to the deadnaming and misgendering.
This text initially appeared on Advocate: Has Gavin Newsom actually signed probably the most pro-trans payments of any governor?
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