As a mother and the representative for California’s 71st Assembly District, I introduced Assembly Bill 89 because I believe every young woman deserves a fair shot—not a rigged system.
Girls shouldn’t have to train their hearts out only to be pushed aside by policies that ignore basic biological differences. AB 89 wasn’t radical—it was rooted in reality. And it was about one thing: protecting fairness in girls’ sports.
But that message was lost on my colleagues in the Assembly’s Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Committee. They voted down AB 89 along party lines, choosing politics over principle. Instead of debating the bill in good faith, one member went so far as to compare it to policies from Nazi Germany. That comparison wasn’t just wrong—it was outrageous, offensive, and a slap in the face to every woman who has fought for equality in athletics.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is tasked with ensuring equity in high school sports, but its current policies fall flat. Let’s be honest—biological differences matter in competitive sports. Muscle mass, lung capacity, and bone structure don’t just disappear with hormone treatments. Ignoring these differences isn’t progressive—it’s regressive. It creates a playing field that’s anything but level.
AB 89 would have required CIF to reserve girls’ teams for biological females. This idea has nothing to do with discrimination; rather, it’s about common sense. When girls are forced to compete against biological males, they lose more than races. They lose scholarships. They lose titles. They lose opportunities that Title IX was created to protect.
Even Gov. Gavin Newsom has said it’s “deeply unfair” for biological males to compete in girls’ sports. But when it came time to act, he stayed silent. Now, the Trump administration has warned that California could lose federal education funding if it continues down this path. That’s not just a headline—it’s a serious consequence that affects every student in our state.
Other states are stepping up. California should be leading—but instead, we’re falling behind, caught up in political games while young women pay the price.
I’m not walking away from this fight. If anything, I’m more determined than ever. I’m asking Californians who believe in fairness and truth to stand with me. Contact your legislators. Speak out. Demand better.
Because this isn’t just about sports. It’s about what kind of state we want to be—one that protects its daughters, or one that turns its back on them.
Kate Sanchez represents California’s 71st Assembly District.
Editor’s note: Voting against AB 89 were Assemblymembers Elhawary, McKinnor, Ortega, Quirk-Silva, Ward and Zbur.
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