(The Lion) — As the Trump administration goes after states that allow males to compete in women’s sports, one of America’s most liberal governors has suddenly come out against the practice.
The federal government has determined the Maine Department of Education violated civil rights law by letting transgender-identifying males compete in women’s sports, the Bangor Daily News reported. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Civil Rights Office sent Maine a violation notice late last month, but the consequences of the violation are not yet clear.
The notice came four days after the Trump administration launched an official investigation into Maine after a transgender track athlete, Katie Spencer, won two state championships.
Trump has promised to withhold federal funding from states that allow males to compete in women’s sports, but the HHS letter noted it hasn’t taken any action yet.
The news comes as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, debuted his podcast and came out against males competing in women’s sports. Newsom is widely expected to run for president in 2028.
“I think it’s an issue of fairness – I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness; it’s deeply unfair,” Newsom told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on the first episode of his podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom.” “I am not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”
The liberal governor, who has sparred online with Trump and other Republicans such as Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, gave conservatives credit for winning hearts and minds on this issue.
“I revere sports, so the issue of fairness is completely legit,” he said. “And I saw that – the last couple years, boy did I [see] how you guys were able to weaponize that issue at another level.”
The second comment came after Kirk asked Newsom to disavow AB Hernandez, the transgender track athlete who won the triple jump at a recent meet by eight feet. Hernandez could win the event at the state championship meet later this year, as The Lion previously reported.
Though Newsom has adapted to the political climate on the transgender athlete issue, the same is not true of rank-and-file legislative Democrats.
Minnesota State Rep. Alicia Kozlowski, D-Duluth, recently called legislation that would have prevented transgender-identifying males from competing in K-12 girls’ interscholastic sports in the state “genocide.”
“Members, make no mistake that this is just another version of state-sanctioned bullying and genocide,” Kozlowski, who uses they/them pronouns, said during a state House debate earlier this week. “And I don’t say that lightly.”
The measure Kozlowski opposed ultimately failed 67-66. With one vacant House seat in Minnesota, bills need 68 votes to pass. Every Republican supported the measure, while every Democrat opposed it.
