Yet, when I spoke to insiders in Sacramento, the feeling on the ground was very different. Centrist and level-headed Democrats are terrified to speak up. They feel pressure from the Democratic caucus to sit down and shut up. The statement Newsom released, applauding the CIF rule change, made it pretty clear where he stands, even though he, too, is distancing himself from this issue for now.

Newsom’s office also restated to me what some outlets have reported, that it believes the number of high school athletes who are transgender is in the single digits in the state. Mothers with girls in sports called BS on this when they spoke to me via phone, text, email, and DMs. California does not require student athletes to disclose their gender identity, so how did the governor’s office come up with this number? The mad mamas I spoke to offered up numerous instances of their girls facing biological boys in sports ranging from water polo to volleyball to basketball and even hockey.

A continual thread from the Left is that these parents and “outsiders” are “anti trans.” But in reality, their tone is more about concerns of safety, innocence, and unfairness. These aren’t all parents or students on the religious Right.

Sophia Lorey, outreach director at the California Family Council, a Christian public policy group that advocates religious freedom, parental rights, and fairness in school sports, has attended numerous CIF events. She started doing so at the request of parents and participating athletes. Lorey was removed by a CIF official over the weekend for handing out pink “XX Only” bracelets and pamphlets with her mother.

“As a former CIF varsity and collegiate athlete, I showed up to defend girls’ sports and was escorted out by CIF and police for handing out ‘save girls’ sports’ bracelets and flyers,” she told me. “No one could point to a single policy justifying their actions. Meanwhile, a male athlete was dominating three girls’ events. These girls deserved celebration, not compromise. Watching them share the spotlight with someone who had a biological advantage was painful. We are failing them when we refuse to protect fairness.”

She continued, “Silencing women who speak up for fairness is an attack on the First Amendment and a betrayal of every female athlete who plays by the rules. It is clear that I didn’t disrupt the competition; I disrupted CIF’s narrative.”

Most participants who are pro-girls, pro-girls sports, and pro-girls’ opportunities are confused and frustrated when they show up at tournaments, meets, and competitions to find out that they will be competing against someone with a biological advantage. The meets were confusing and sad when these girls recognized that they wouldn’t make the top nine because of a biological male. They were upset, nervous, and in tears while feeling a sense of disappointment and unfairness before they even competed. 

DOJ THREATENS LAWSUIT OVER CALIFORNIA TRANSGENDER ATHLETE POLICY

CIF isn’t doing these things in a vacuum. It is afraid of radical leftist organizations such as Equality CA and the Trevor Project, whose form 990s boast funding of almost $100 million nationally, coming in and pressuring the Democratic supermajority not to allow CIF to operate as an organization within the state. Worst case scenario, these agenda-driven Democrats create a new state body to regulate school sports that is beholden to the legislature directly. 

The California Family Council has a website with a petition that has garnered over 15,000 signatures demanding that the CIF take the concerns of girls in sports seriously and make rule changes to protect them. I’d urge all concerned athletes and parents to sign it. You may think that this started in California and ends in California, but it is happening everywhere. Our girls deserve better.

Elisha Krauss is a conservative commentator and speaker who resides in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and their four children. She advocates women’s rights, school choice, and smaller government.

With 117 days to go until the ICF Slalom World Championships arrive in Sydney, the Australian Canoe Slalom team are preparing to get their 2025 international season underway in Spain, this weekend.

Olympic gold medalists Jessica and Noemie Fox headline the 10-strong team that will compete at the 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 1 in La Seu from Friday 6 June through until Sunday 8 June.

“The main objective that I have my eyes on this year is the World Championships…a home World Championships in a career is very special,” Noemie Fox said. 

“But also the World Cups this year, I’m really looking forward to challenging myself – it’s a bit of a harder schedule with just one run, straight to top 12 and into the final.

“So I think there’s a lot more challenges this year for me, but I’m excited to step up in my slalom events and to maintain my Kayak Cross world rankings and titles,” she said.

It is the first of five World Cup events, with the season set to culminate in Penrith for the 2025 ICF Slalom World Championships.

The World Cup 1 program will start with the men’s and women’s Kayak Heats and Finals on Friday, before the men’s and women’s Canoe Heats and Finals on Saturday, and wrap up with the Kayak Cross on Sunday.

Among the Australians competing this weekend is World Cup and senior national team debutant Ben Ross.

“Debuting on my first senior team is very exciting, and for me it’s all about coming into the Worlds with a performance objective, do as well as I can, but also really lapping up the experience, enjoying the opportunities that being on the senior team provides and just trying to get as much out of the experience as I can.

“I’m racing World Cups 1 and 2, in La Seu (Spain) and Pau (France), and then I’ll be taking a break for World Cup 3 for the U23 World Championships…they’re quite close to each other.

“I went to Seu and Pau for the first time last year, just for training and I was really privileged to be able to do that.

“Seu is quite unique – I’ve watched a lot of my fellow team mates race there in the past and watched a lot of races online, but never myself.

“But I feel like I’m in a good place, I’ve had a bit of training on the course but it’s a really special place in Slalom history, with the 1992 Olympics and to be able to race there will be super exciting,” Ross said.

The 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup season will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports Australia and Kayo Sports.

2025 ICF CANOE SLALOM WORLD CUP 1

Friday 6 June

• 7:30pm AEST | Women’s Kayak Heats
• 8:29pm AEST | Men’s Kayak Heats
• 11:05pm AEST | Women’s Kayak Final
• 11:47pm AEST | Men’s Kayak Final

Saturday 7 June

• 7pm AEST | Women’s Canoe Heats
• 7:50pm AEST | Men’s Canoe Heats 
• 10:04pm AEST | Women’s Canoe Final
• 10:47pm AEST | Men’s Canoe Final

Sunday 8 June

• 6pm AEST | Kayak Cross Time Trial
• 10pm AEST | Kayak Cross Heats
• 11pm AEST | Kayak Cross Quarterfinals
• 11:40pm AEST | Kayak Cross Semi Finals
• 12am AEST | Kayak Cross Finals

AUSTRALIAN TEAM

Jessica Fox (Women’s Kayak, Canoe, Kayak Cross)

Noemie Fox (Women’s Kayak, Canoe, Kayak Cross)

Kate Eckhardt (Women’s Kayak, Canoe, Kayak Cross)

Lucien Delfour (Men’s Kayak, Kayak Cross)

Tim Anderson (Men’s Kayak, Kayak Cross)

Ben Pope (Men’s Kayak, Kayak Cross)

Tristan Carter (Men’s Canoe)

Kaylen Bassett (Men’s Canoe)

Ben Ross (Men’s Canoe)

Georgie O’Callaghan (Women’s Kayak Cross)

The Mater Dei and Sage Hill boys volleyball teams won CIF State championships over the weekend.

This is the first season that CIF State championships have been held for boys volleyball. Previously, the volleyball season ended with regional playoffs.

All of the state finals were played at Fresno City College.

In the Division II final on Friday, Mater Dei defeated Clovis Buchannan in four sets, 17-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-20.

Monarchs sophomore Jeremiah Postasi had a team-high 16 kills in the match.

Sage Hill won the Division III championship Saturday by defeating San Francisco International, 25-19, 25-16, 25-23.

Mira Costa continued its season-long dominance by winning the Division I title by defeating San Jose Archbishop Mitty, 25-14, 15-15, 25-21.

The Mustangs defeated Huntington Beach 3-0 in the CIF Southern California Regional final and defeated Huntington Beach in five sets in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final.

LONG BEACH, CA — Long Beach has been selected to host seven sporting events for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games, city officials said in a statement Tuesday.

Long Beach’s waterfront will serve as the backdrop for para climbing, para swimming, shooting para sport, sitting volleyball, blind football (soccer), para rowing and para canoe-sprint, according to city officials.

“We are incredibly proud and honored that Long Beach will host seven Paralympic sporting events for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement Tuesday. “This milestone truly showcases our commitment to inclusion, athletic excellence and community spirit.”

SEE ALSO: Flying Taxis May Help Ease LA Traffic During 2028 Olympics

The 2028 games mark the debut of para climbing, which, along with para swimming, will take place in the convention center lot, Long Beach city officials said. Shooting para sport will take place at a temporary indoor range, sitting volleyball at the Long Beach Arena, blind football (soccer) at Alamitos Beach, and para rowing and para canoe-spring at Marine Stadium, city officials said.

Earlier this year, Long Beach was selected to host 11 Olympic games in 20028, including beach volleyball, handball, water polo, sailing and target shooting.

City officials said Tuesday that Long Beach’s involvement in the Olympic and Paralympic games will raise its international profile as a “world-renowned destination for business, tourism and special events.”

“It will also generate significant economic activity for the city and enhance the livability of Long Beach residents and visitors for generations to come,” city officials said in a statement.

The Olympic Games are set to take place from July 14 to 30, while the Paralympic Games will be hosted from Aug. 15 to 27.

To ease travel in and around game venues, Los Angeles County officials are considering implementing a water taxi and a flying taxi.