WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) sent a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom following his recent comments on his podcast questioning the “fairness” of allowing men to compete in women’s sports. In the letter, Senator Tuberville thanks Governor Newsom for having the courage to speak up about this important issue and urges the Governor to ban men from competing in women’s sports in California ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Outkick previewed the letter here.
Read the letter below or here.
Governor Newsom,
I was very pleased to hear the comments you made on your podcast earlier this month affirming you do not think it is “fair” for men to be allowed to compete in women’s sports. This really shouldn’t be controversial as 79% of Americans – and 67% of Democrats – agree on this. Unfortunately, that polling memo has not reached Democrat headquarters as every single U.S. Senate Democrat voted against the Protection of Women and Girls Act, which would have protected women’s sports, when it came to the Senate floor earlier this month. While I would have preferred your comments to have come before the pivotal vote, I still commend you for your courage and am hopeful that your Democrat colleagues might follow your lead and vote differently on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in the future.
All of America is looking forward to Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics. It doesn’t matter who you are – whether Democrat or Republican, rich or poor, male or female – we all come together under the red, white, and blue during these games. The Olympics are a celebration of human excellence, diversity, and sportsmanship, but it’s also an opportunity to show the world what we stand for.
As Governor of California, you have a massive opportunity to send a clear message to the world: in the United States, we protect the rights of women to fairly and safely compete. As we welcome athletes from all backgrounds, it is crucial that we strike a balance between fair competition and inclusivity. The current debate surrounding transgender athletes is an important one, and I believe that thoughtful, evidence-based guidelines can ensure that the spirit of fairness and opportunity is preserved for all competitors. This isn’t about excluding transgender athletes – it is about protecting the rights of female athletes who have worked their entire lives to compete and deserve a fair opportunity.
I encourage you, in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to advocate for and implement clear, transparent, and scientifically supported rules for these Games. The last thing the world wants to see in 2028 is a repeat of the Paris Olympics, where we witnessed a person with male chromosomes repeatedly punch a female athlete in the face in the women’s boxing competition.
Women and girls around the world deserve to see the most elite female athletes thrive, compete and win. After all, what kind of a message are we communicating to our daughters if we encourage them to work hard and practice, but at the end of the day their rights to make a team or earn a medal could be stripped away and handed to a man? This is a punch in the face to the thousands of feminists who fought so hard for the rights of women in America. Women make up 50% of this country – and it is our obligation to honor and protect them in the 2028 Games.
I look forward to working with you to accomplish these shared goals. Together, we can bring sanity back to women’s sports and showcase that in America, women have the same rights to equal, fair competition as men.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
BACKGROUND:
During the Biden administration, more than 900 women lost medals to men competing in women’s sports. The issue of men in girls’ and women’s sports proved to be one of the top concerns of voters during the 2024 Presidential Election. A recent New York Times (NYT) poll found 79% of respondents said men should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports. This is a bipartisan issue—the same recent NYT poll found that 67% of Democrats agree that male athletes shouldn’t be allowed in women’s sports.
In February, President Trump signed a historic Executive Order banning men from competing in women’s sports. President Trump has spoken about the need to keep men out of women’s sports on multiple occasions.
Unfortunately, Executive Orders can be reversed. That’s why on Monday, March 3, 2025, the Senate voted on Senator Tuberville’s bill, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would make President Trump’s Executive Order permanent. 45 Democrats voted to block the bill from proceeding.
Earlier this year, Senator Tuberville also introduced a bill to ban men from competing in women’s U.S. Olympic sports, following USA Boxing’s announcement that it would allow men to box against women.
Senator Tuberville has vowed to continue fighting until women’s rights to compete fairly and safely are protected.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
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