VIDEO: Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’ Statement on Protecting the Rights of California’s Transgender Children

Click Here To Watch/Download a Video of Speaker Rivas’ Remarks

SACRAMENTO — On Tuesday, during an Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism committee hearing, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) provided the following public statement on protecting the rights of California’s transgender children:

“We heard from many people today on both sides of this, including well-intentioned parents. I myself am a parent of two young children, including a nine-year-old daughter, who is fiercely competitive. I want to thank everyone for making the time to be here, to engage and share your thoughts and opinions. Robust public debate done respectfully is what democracy is about.

I’ve been in the Assembly since 2018, and not a single constituent has ever called to complain about who’s on their kid’s soccer team. Not one. They call about housing, traffic, crime, and public services like health care and child care because these are the things they care about. 

There is no epidemic of transgender kids playing basketball and soccer or any other sport. There are more kids right now with measles in Texas than there are transgender athletes playing in the NCAA. That’s the epidemic we should all be worried about.

Meanwhile, Californians are facing cuts to Medi-Cal, to schools and to veterans services. Californians have lost their jobs because of DOGE, but my Republican colleagues won’t talk about that.

And women do face threats today, but not from the very small number of transgender kids playing sports. The real threat is the Trump Administration taking away women’s reproductive freedom and dismantling programs that help women.

Finally, I cannot emphasize this point enough: I’m not going to support a bill that takes rights away from a protected class of people.

Gender identity is a protected class here in California just like race, sex and age, and it’s been a protected class for more than a decade. I’m not turning my back on that. I’m not going to sanction discrimination against LGBTQ Californians. Not now, not ever.

Again, I’m glad we had this hearing and this debate, because Californians deserve to know what our priorities are.”