California bills could ban trans athletes from girls' sports
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The ACLU is tracking at least 71 bills that would ban transgender youth participation in sports, including two in California.
Why it matters: "While not all of these bills will become law, they all cause harm for LGBTQ people," the ACLU says.
Zoom in: California law has protected transgender athletes' rights to play on sports teams based on their gender identity since 2014, and public high school and university policies comply with the law.
Driving the news: State lawmakers are considering a bill that would require the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) to prohibit trans girls from playing on girls' teams.
- Another proposed bill would permit students from the elementary to collegiate level to play on sports teams and use facilities based only on their sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity.
State of play: The U.S. Senate blocked a measure Monday that would restrict trans women and girls from school athletics programs. In January, the U.S. House passed similar legislation that threatens federal funding for schools that don't comply.
- In February, the NCAA changed its policy to comply with President Trump's executive order banning trans women from women's sports.
- But the CIF said it would continue to follow state law, prompting a federal Title IX investigation.
Between the lines: The issue has also been playing out in court, with California universities pulled into a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by anti-trans-athlete activist Riley Gaines.
- San José State volleyball player Brooke Slusser joined the lawsuit, alleging that the inclusion of her transgender teammate in Mountain West matches posed an unfair advantage and safety hazards, the LA Times reported.
The big picture: National and state studies suggest that between 15% and 26% of transgender youth participate in sports. As of 2023, 2.3% of San Diego County teenage students identified as transgender, and 1.3% identified as nonbinary.
- Less than 2% of teens ages 13-17 (about 50,000) in California identify as transgender, per a 2022 UCLA study.
- In December, NCAA president Charlie Baker told a Senate panel he was aware of fewer than 10 trans athletes who compete in college sports, the Hill reported.
Editor's note: The headline has been corrected to note that the bills are proposed (not laws).