Yes, Gavin Newsom is funny. That doesn’t erase his attacks on trans rights.

In a time of increasing uncertainty for the trans community, Newsom’s increasing popularity is not just something to fear—it’s something we must act on.

Over the past month, California Governor Gavin Newsom has been making headlines for all the right reasons: he’s led an effort to respond to Texas Republicans’ push to further gerrymander their state, used his profile to pressure Border Patrol and ICE, and found a very effective—and hilarious—way to get under Trump’s skin through his Press Office’s parodies of the president’s writing style. All of these actions have catapulted him to national stardom, where he’s taken on the role of leading the fight against the Trump administration.

However, to the trans community, his rise only brings fear. Because before these developments, he was trying to win over potential voters in a very different way: by abandoning the LGBTQ+ community.

The Californian Curse

In the United States, California has long had a reputation. And not just for its stereotyped sunny weather, surfer culture, and affluent, snobby culture, but for its liberal politics as well. California Democrats are synonymous—especially in more Republican-leaning areas—with the liberal style of politics conservatives detest. It’s so difficult to overcome that despite California’s large population and plethora of Democratic figures with a national profile, of the three presidents from California, none of them have been Democrats.

Evidently, Newsom is facing an uphill battle. So he’s set off to appear more palatable to conservatives, starting with LGBTQ+ issues. Beginning in 2024, he started attempting to suppress pro-LGBTQ+ bills while they were still in the legislature in order to keep him from having to either veto them—losing progressives—or sign them—angering conservatives. Then, he went public with his new opinions during a conversation with Charlie Kirk on his podcast earlier this year, calling trans athletes’ participation in girls' and women’s sports ‘deeply unfair.’ And more recently, he signalled he changed his stance on gender-affirming care for minors as well.

His gambit is clear, as is the sad truth: the trans community is expendable to Governor Newsom. Right now, this has already turned into a few legislative vetoes when his hand was forced, including one telling courts to consider parents’ acceptance of trans children in custody battles and one that aimed to make it easier for doctors to be approved as gender-affirming care providers. Though it remains to be seen what he’ll do about Senate Bill 59, a bill (which is making its way through the Assembly after already passing the Senate) that would require all trans people’s past or future name and/or gender court processes to be made confidential, the question must be asked: how far is Gavin Newsom willing to go?

The Way of Labour

The main centre-left party of the UK, Labour, can provide insight into what this looks like. In 2024, Labour and its leader, Keir Starmer, decided to turn on the trans community on their way to claiming a majority in the House of Commons. Except they didn’t have to; thanks to the tumultuous Conservative leadership in years prior, Labour was already well ahead in the polls. But after their win, the Labour MP that became Secretary of Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, has taken extremely transphobic stances on many critical issues and has become open with his association with a known transphobic (and child abuse-advocating) group.

Now, in the wake of the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that trans people will always be their sex assigned at birth, trans people have been banned from many sex-segregated spaces. As heartbreaking as it is, the result of Labour’s completely unnecessary turn of heel is simple: in the UK, no major political party speaks for the trans community. And despite our respective systems’ differences, this fate can also happen in the United States.

I sincerely hope Newsom is able to change his mind regarding his increasingly transphobic stances. It would be somewhat surprising, but people can change. After all, his support was unwavering for many years prior to this shift, and it’s true that it’s mostly thanks to him that California has some of the most progressive pro-trans laws. Case in point: Joe Biden’s extremely impactful shift on same-sex marriage. In the late 90s, Biden voted in favour of the homophobic Defense of Marriage Act, but 15 years later, he forced then-President Obama’s hand in supporting same-sex marriage by saying he supported it while on national TV. And in 2022, he formally repealed DOMA. Clearly, Biden changed—that means Newsom can too.

However, if Gavin Newsom does not change his mind about supporting our community, then the UK’s reality would look a lot more possible. Because if someone willing to throw us under the bus becomes the head of the Democratic Party, there will be nobody left to defend us. Of course, he still has to keep his momentum up after exiting the governorship in January 2027, but right now, it’s looking like he has a real shot at winning the nomination.

That should scare us. If the Democratic Party goes the way of Labour, it could be decades before the GOP’s transphobic actions are undone.

What’s Next?

So, what can we do? An obvious response would be to flat-out state that we aren’t going to vote for him, but I want to challenge that assumption. If Newsom was sincere in why he changed his mind on trans issues (after hearing detransitioners’ stories when it comes to gender-affirming care), then he’s impressionable. It may yet be possible for his mind to change.

So, instead of outright refusing to vote for him, let’s attach conditions to our votes. For example, if you’re going to write to Governor Newsom, instead of doing it angrily, share your perspective and offer him a chance to change. Better yet, if you’re a California resident (and I know quite a few of my readers are), write to your representatives in the California State Legislature. Messages are more likely to reach them, and they can take it up with Newsom too.

I don’t like that our system has created this situation either, but in these times, this may give us a chance. For the general election, he needs the LGBTQ+ community. Just like we can’t afford to lose him should he win the nomination, he can’t afford to lose us, and it’s time we let him know. That said, we can’t accept anything less than full support, especially when it comes to trans kids. I know I’m not alone in saying I won’t vote for him should it come to that—no matter the national environment.

However, if we don’t give him the opportunity to change, how can we expect him to? If he’s going to win the nomination, we’d rather it be with us. Until then, it’s time to fight.