Gov. Tim Walz backs transgender kids as Democrats grapple with debate over bans in sports

WASHINGTON - Months after California Gov. Gavin Newsom told a conservative podcast it's "deeply unfair" for transgender athletes to compete in women and girls sports, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took the stage at the Democratic Party's annual state convention in Newsom's home state to let his party know he disagrees.

"I'm just going to say it, shame on any of us who throws a trans child under the bus for thinking they're going to get elected," the 2024 vice presidential nominee said last Saturday. "That child deserves our support. Don't worry about the pollsters calling it distractions, because we need to be the party of human dignity."

Walz is doubling down on trans rights — and criticizing members of his party who are retreating — at a time when the issue has become a lightning rod nationally and at home.

Attorney General Keith Ellison, a fellow Democrat, and other state officials are being sued by three Maple Grove and Farmington high school softball players in an effort to remove trans athletes from competing in their sport.

In Washington, the Republican-controlled U.S. House passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act at the start of the year, which Minnesota's four Republicans supported and the state's four Democrats opposed. Democrats stuck together to prevent a similar bill from advancing in the U.S. Senate, with Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar opposed.

Walz did not specifically comment on the issues of transgender student athletes in his speech Saturday and his spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

Minnesota Democrats are largely aligned with Walz on the issue, though not all have been so forceful.

"I understand that this is viewed by many in our community as a fairness issue," said Rep. Angie Craig, a moderate Democrat and the first LGBTQ member of Congress to represent Minnesota. She's running in a competitive race for the DFL nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2026.

"I believe that local sports associations and our local schools are best equipped to make these decisions."

Klobuchar, a fellow moderate Democrat, cited her opposition to the bill in the Senate and said she, too, trusts "school districts, parents, and sports leagues to make decisions about their athletes."

"I voted against a bill that would take that decision away from local school districts and jeopardize education funding for all students," Klobuchar continued.

A New York Times-Ipsos survey from early January found that 79% of Americans, including 67% of Democrats and 64% of independents, do not think transgender female athletes should be allowed to compete in women's sports. A Pew Research Center survey from February found 66% of Americans favor, or strongly favor, laws and policies that "require trans athletes to compete on teams that match their sex assigned at birth."

Newsom, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, has been one of the few Democrats to veer from his party on the issue, while Walz could be trying to appeal to the more progressive wing as he continues to mull his future, said University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs.

Walz is expected to run for a third term as governor and hasn't ruled out a 2028 presidential bid.

"Transgender participation in sports presents an issue for Democrats. You can see that with Gavin Newsom trying to move Democrats from a position that's not popular with the general public," Jacobs said.

Jacobs thinks it wasn't a coincidence that Walz made his position known on a possible 2028 rival's home turf, adding that Walz wants to challenge President Trump's rhetoric and push back on Democrats he thinks are "abandoning issues that enjoy support among Democratic primary voters and donors."

Trump earlier this year signed an executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports."

"Democrats like to claim to be a champion of women while simultaneously robbing female athletes of the fairness, safety, and equal opportunities they deserve," Rep. Tom Emmer said in a statement in February to mark National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

Emmer recently weighed in on the debate in Minnesota, using his official House Majority Whip social media account on X to retweet a post that named a transgender metro-area high school softball player. Walz's office declined to comment on Emmer's post.

In 2015, the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) board of directors voted to open girls sports to transgender student-athletes. The decision took effect for the 2015-16 school year and made Minnesota the 33rd state to adopt a formal transgender student policy.

The MSHSL has been under investigation by the federal government as a result of Trump's executive order and could be at risk of losing federal funding.

Ellison has sued the Trump administration over the executive order. State Republicans earlier this year failed to pass a bill banning trans athletes from girls elementary and secondary sports. No Democrats in the Legislature voted for the bill.

The MSHSL's bylaws allow student participation "consistent with their gender identity or expression in an environment free from discrimination with an equal opportunity for participation in athletics and fine arts."

Citing the Data Practices Act, the MSHSL does not keep records of transgender athletes in the state.

Jim Paulsen of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.