California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced this week that five more states have been added to the state’s list of banned destinations for official travel. “When states discriminate against LGBTQ+ Americans, California law requires our office to take action,” Bonta said, highlighting Assembly Bill 1887, passed by California’s Democrat legislature in 2016. “These new additions to the state-funded travel restrictions list are about exactly that.”

How very “inclusive” of California’s leftist officials to shun those who don’t agree with their political agenda. That they don’t see the blatant hypocrisy may explain why they also deny scientific reality — that biological males are not really female just because they identify as such.

The states added to California’s expanding list include Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia, raising the total number to 17 states. We’re beginning to think California doesn’t like much of the rest of the country.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey forcefully criticized the ban. “The economic coercion demonstrated by California is an affront to the dignity of other co-sovereign states and amounts to legislating across state borders in an effort to force the radical worldview of large states onto those living elsewhere,” the Republican AG explained. “Federalism works best when individual states can pursue policies supported by their own constituents, and in West Virginia our office will defend the state’s efforts to protect the integrity of women’s sports.”

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who is running for governor, responded similarly via social media: “California’s ‘woke’ law prohibits state-funded travel to Arkansas. Our state is on the forefront of the fight for American values & just as I have done for over 6 years as AG, I will always protect our traditional American & Arkansas values as Governor.”

The clear issue here is one of protecting women’s sports, which numerous recent examples demonstrate are under direct assault. Irrespective of how California officials dubiously paint the issue, none of these states prevent individuals from identifying as they chose; rather, they protect the rights and spaces of actual biological women from being subordinated and subjected to the declared desires of gender dysphoric men and boys. To turn a popular leftist phrase, California is simply and clearly on the wrong side of history with this issue, and no amount of browbeating and self-righteous declarations will change that reality.

But there might be a silver lining. California officials banning state-funded travel to red states will at least keep these science-denying leftists from officially promulgating their twisted identity ideology in person.