The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a major win for fairness, upholding West Virginia and Idaho laws that protect women’s and girls’ sports by keeping competition based on biological sex.
As a mom, former athlete, and founder of Save Girls’ Sports Central Coast, I’ve fought alongside parents because biological males in girls’ sports steal scholarships, titles, records, and safety from our daughters. I built a grassroots organization, led Title IX resolutions, and advocated for protected locker rooms and athletic categories for biological females.
This ruling reaffirms Title IX and common sense. States can—and should—preserve women’s sports for biological females.
In contrast, my opponent, incumbent Assemblymember Dawn Addis, has authored bills like AB 1876 redefining “sex” to include gender identity and supported measures like AB 1955 that limit parental notification.
On Nov. 3, Central Coast voters have a clear choice: continue policies that harm girls or elect a proven defender of our daughters.
Fairness isn’t hate—it’s justice. Our daughters deserve a level playing field.
Shannon Kessler
Republican candidate, California State Assembly District 30
founder, Save Girls’ Sports Central Coast
This article appears in July 2-9, 2026.
All the Republicans want to talk about is how some poor girl is being beaten in a track meet by some nasty boy wearing a sports bra. However, currently less than 1% of high school or college athletes are transgender. Why does so small a population warrant the time of a busy politico who surely has more important things to think about? Could it be that Republicans would like to deride trans athletes rather than talk about how wages are not keeping up with inflation, poor Americans have lost health insurance and food stamps, a Republican president just capitulated to Iran in a war he should have never started or that climate change is increasingly posing a major problem while Republicans simply call for more drilling rather than attempt to solve the problem by converting to renewable energy.
Instead, Ms. Kessler wants to talk about a fringe issue despite the fact that I doubt if 99% of her voters have ever even seen a trans athlete compete.
I agree with Mr. Smith that the trans sports issue effects only a tiny portion of the population, but wonder why the Democrats are so adamant about pushing for the “right” of men to play women’s sports when it effects so few, and has proven so politically damaging to them? Only the most rigidly dogmatic activists fail to acknowledge the biological advantage that men have in most sports, and the unfairness of forcing women to compete against them. The issue may be of relatively minor consequence in the overall scheme of things, but serves a valuable service in revealing the bizarre thinking of the party and their unsuitability for being entrusted with governing. If they are willing to ignore scientific fact in order to maintain their tribal loyalty to their extremists at such great cost, what other crazy things are they likely to do?
“Bizarre thinking” to want to show inclusion? I don’t agree with it in this case, but I don’t see how it’s bizarre to attempt to protect people’s rights. Without this “bizarre thinking” I believe we would have not legalized interracial marriage or gay marriage and probably wouldn’t have passed the ground breaking civil rights legislation of the 1960’s.
What’s really bizarre is to ignore science on climate change and totally backtrack on converting to renewable energy in favor of more drilling, a resurrection of the coal industry and paying off the butchers in Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
If you really want to promote “inclusion”, let’s eliminate ALL distinctions between humans and treat everyone the same. This will, of course,eliminate the DEI you so cherish, which provides for special treatment for some and divides us into separate groups. Since we will all be part of one inclusive mass, it would frustrate the inclusive efforts to sort us out into separate groups.
That would be a great idea if there were no more racism, misogyny or homophobia, but last I checked those are still present in our society, no matter how much John Roberts wishes for a “color blind” world. Just look at the man you elected president: a racist, misogynist and homophobe. As long as men like that walk the world, we need DEI.