California Dem Compares 'Save Girls Sports' Law to Nazi Germany as Two Trans Athlete Ban Bills Fail to Pass

The California state legislature saw fiery debates and failed attempts to pass two bills aimed at banning transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports on Tuesday. During these discussions, Democratic assembly member Rick Chavez Zbur sparked outrage by likening one of the proposals to the oppressive practices of Nazi Germany.

"This is really reminiscent to me of what happened in Nazi Germany in the 1930s," Zbur argued while opposing AB 89, which was proposed by Republican assembly member Kate Sanchez. According to Zbur, transgender individuals in 1930s Germany were persecuted, barred from public life, detransitioned, imprisoned, and even killed in concentration camps—a grim comparison that he linked to the Trump administration's policies.

The analogy drew sharp rebuke from mediators and audible gasps from attendees, including a Holocaust survivor who left the chamber visibly shaken. Sanchez described Zbur’s comments as "tone-deaf" and offensive, stating, "We had a mother who had been in the Holocaust itself, so she had to leave the committee hearing because it was so uncomfortable."

Despite emotional testimony from supporters of AB 89, including members of the LGBTQ community, the Democratic majority struck down the bill. A second proposal, AB 844, led by Republican assembly member Bill Essayli and featuring testimony from conservative activist Matt Walsh, met the same fate. Both bills remain open for reconsideration.

Essayli suggested that the legislative resistance was aimed at sending a message to Governor Gavin Newsom. Newsom had stirred controversy within his own party by calling the inclusion of trans athletes in girls' sports "deeply unfair" on his podcast, though he defended the policy.

"There’s a civil war brewing in the Democratic Party," Essayli claimed, noting a divide between Newsom's stance and the more progressive legislature. "Today they wanted to send a message to their progressive, extremist base that they’re not abandoning them."

The failure of these bills comes on the heels of warnings from former Trump Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who cautioned Newsom that the state could face federal funding cuts if it continues to allow trans inclusion in girls' sports—a potential Title IX violation. California’s high school sports association, CIF, is already under federal investigation for related concerns.

Sanchez and Essayli expressed their disappointment but vowed to keep fighting. Sanchez noted, "Not only are they ignoring the will of the people, they’re ignoring the everyday mom, dad, girl in sports." Essayli added, "None of us thought the Democrats would change their position, but we wanted to make a clear record and expose where they stand."

With tensions mounting and federal pressure looming, the debate over transgender athletes in girls' sports is far from over.