Will Men and Women Race Against Each Other At The LA Olympics? This Politician Thinks So.

In an appearance that lit up social media and conservative pundit panels alike, California gubernatorial candidate Betty Yee suggested the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles could, or should, include gender-neutral categories for some events, including track and field.

Speaking with Piers Morgan on Uncensored earlier this week, the former California State Controller and current Democratic Party vice-chair defended the rights of transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports and said conversations about leveling the playing field shouldn’t shy away from the idea of mixed-gender competition.

“I think it’s a conversation worth having,” Yee said, after Morgan asked whether men and women could feasibly compete in the same Olympic events. “We need to understand what the attributes are of athletes across the spectrum.”

Morgan appeared stunned when Yee pointed to short-distance track events, like the 100 meters, as an area where women might eventually compete on equal footing with men. He interrupted her mid-sentence: “Have you watched Usain Bolt?”

The exchange quickly escalated into a back-and-forth about biology, fairness, and inclusion. Morgan emphasized the physiological advantages male athletes tend to have in sports like sprinting, referencing the nearly one-second gap between the men’s and women’s Olympic records in the 100m dash, 9.63 for Bolt in 2012, versus 10.61 for Elaine Thompson-Herah in 2021.

Yee, acknowledging she’s “not a sports expert,” nonetheless stood by her point. “I think transgender athletes are women athletes, and they should be able to compete,” she said. But she added that more research is needed: “There’s a lot of information we need to learn about what’s really happening with the ability of trans athletes to compete.”

The conversation, which quickly went viral, touched a nerve in a state that has been a flashpoint in the national debate over trans rights in sports. In 2014, California passed AB 1266, which allowed K–12 students to join school sports teams based on their gender identity. It’s a law that Republican candidate Steve Hilton has vowed to repeal.

Hilton appeared on Uncensored immediately after Yee and didn’t hold back.

“I think we may just have seen another California Democrat candidate torpedo their campaign for governor,” he said, before adding that he would overturn AB 1266 if elected. “This is obviously discrimination against girls.”

Yee’s comments also diverged from those of Governor Gavin Newsom, who earlier this year called the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports “deeply unfair” and said the issue could hurt Democrats at the polls.

Newsom made those remarks on his podcast during a conversation with conservative activist Charlie Kirk, drawing sharp criticism from progressives for what they saw as a betrayal of trans Californians.

For her part, Yee framed the discussion around opportunity, arguing that the Olympic Games should reflect a broader, evolving understanding of gender identity.

“If the physicality of the sexes bear true to that [gender neutrality], including with transgender people, yes, it should be gender neutral,” she said. “I don’t think we know enough.”

Still, most athletic organizations disagree.

World Athletics, the governing body for track and field, barred transgender women from competing in the female category in 2023 if they had gone through male puberty, citing fairness and safety.

World Rugby took a similar step in 2020. And a growing body of sports science suggests that, on average, cisgender male athletes retain a measurable advantage in strength, speed, and endurance, even after hormone therapy.

“Across most Olympic events, the gap is about 10 to 12 percent,” said Dr. Ross Tucker, a South African sports scientist who has studied performance data across genders. “That’s not something that training or identity can fully bridge.”

Yee didn’t propose an official policy for the 2028 Games. But in an election year where California’s progressive values are being tested by deeply personal and polarized issues, her remarks were bound to stir debate, especially with Los Angeles set to host the world’s biggest stage in less than three years.

Whether that debate becomes a serious proposal, or a political liability, remains to be seen.