Caitlyn Jenner, who just last week announced her candidacy for governor of California, spoke out on Saturday against allowing transgender athletes born male to play on girls' sports teams.
Jenner, a former Olympic athlete who famously came out as transgender in 2015, was briefly interviewed on the matter by TMZ, adding her influential input on a contentious problem that has prompted Republican-backed bills in several states around the country.
"This is a question of fairness, that's why I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls sports in school," Jenner said on a video. "It just isn't fair, and we have to protect girls' sports in our schools."
The 71-year-old gubernatorial candidate's comments follow the passage of legislation in Florida this week that would limit participation in girls' sports teams to those who were born female. Governor Ron De Santis has said that he will sign the bill.
Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia signed a similar bill on Wednesday, despite concerns from sports organizations that the state would be boycotted if college tournaments were held there. Previously, in response to a bill prohibiting the gender-based use of sex-segregated toilets in North Carolina, the NCAA relocated championships out of the state in 2016.
Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi have all passed bills prohibiting transgender girls from participating on girls' sports teams in public schools, while South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has issued an executive order on the subject.
These state actions are in response to President Biden's January executive order granting student-athletes permission to compete regardless of their gender identity. Biden also lifted the ban imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump on the service of transgender people in the US Armed Forces, which in turn reversed the Obama administration's decision that authorized transgenders for military service in 2016.
Jenner is running as a Republican to unseat Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in the state's upcoming recall election.