Video 'Save Girls Sports' rally erupts outside California girls' track meet Activists held a "Save Girls Sports" protest at the site of a state tournament girls' high school track meet in California, where a trans athlete is expected to compete.
An opening round meet for the California girls' track and field state tournament was rocked by a political rally for the second year in a row on Saturday.
A "Save Girls' Sports" protest, organized by former NCAA women's soccer player Sophia Lorey, was held outside the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section, Division 3, preliminaries in Yorba Linda, and coincided with the participation of a trans athlete for Jurupa Valley High School.
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Former NCAA women's soccer player Sophia Lorey gives speech at 'Save Girls Sports' rally. (OutKick's Alejandro Avilla)
"Our daughters are paying the price," said California superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw during a speech. "This is insane! Our girls are suffering! They're unsafe. Every time they enter into any competition or any restroom, they are unsafe!"
'Save Girls Sports' activists at a rally in California on Saturday, May 9, 2026 (OutKick's Alejandro Avilla)
The announcement of the protest earlier this week sparked a war of words involving Newsom's office and the White House.
A source at the governor's office provided a statement to Fox News Digital in response to the announcement of the protest.
"The Governor has said discussions on this issue should be guided by fairness, dignity, and respect. He rejects the right wing’s cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual kids. The Governor’s position is simple: stand with all kids and stand up to bullies," the statement read.
"California is one of 22 states that have laws requiring students be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school sports consistent with their gender identity. California passed this law in 2013 (AB 1266) and it was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown."
NEWSOM'S OFFICE DISTANCES GOVERNOR FROM DOJ LAWSUIT VS CALIFORNIA OVER TRANS ATHLETES IN CONTROVERSIAL POST
A White House spokesperson later condemned the governor for the state's continued resistance to President Donald Trump's mandate to prevent biological male trans athletes from competing in girls' sports.
"Gavin Newscum is a truly sick individual who has no regard for fairness, dignity, and respect. If he did, he wouldn’t allow men to compete in women’s sports, limiting women’s opportunities and jeopardizing their health and safety. President Trump fights for commonsense policies that uplift every athlete and restore fairness on the field," White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster told Fox News Digital.
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After Lorey's similar protest in the opening round last year, the California girls' track and field state finals erupted into a chaotic and nationally publicized spectacle that included competing protests, the arrest of a pro-trans activist for allegedly attacking a conservative activist, a plane flyover with a "Save Girls' Sports"banner and even Lorey's ejection from the venue.
After Jurupa's trans athlete won first place in triple jump and high jump, and second place in long jump, Trump's Department of Justice launched a lawsuit against California state agencies for alleged Title IX violations last July.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
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