This is insane, but to California it makes sense

There are perfectly sane and responsible people in California. The state is home to some of the most faithful Christians I know. It is a massive mission field, but it is also home to some wonderful churches that are really faithful to the gospel. Unfortunately, it is apparently governed by lunatics.

Last week, Christopher Rufo and Jonathan Choe of the Manhattan Institute ran a report with this headline: “California provides sex-change procedures to homeless illegal aliens,” published in City Journal. The report looked like satire. Rufo and Choe stated: “We discovered not only that the shelters were housing illegal immigrants but also that they were apparently housing a population of male-to-female ‘transgender’ illegal aliens, who had hoped to obtain ‘gender-affirming care.’ And, to our shock, state and local governments are providing it.”

Providing it ... as in paying for it. So, get the word out. If you are in another country and you want a sex-change operation, just illegally work your way across the American border, get to California, declare yourself homeless, demand that California taxpayers pay for your treatments and “male-to-female” surgery—and be sure to pack your makeup.

Rufo and Choe had heard from a whistleblower who reported that San Francisco was housing illegal immigrants in homeless shelters. They checked it out and discovered the sex-change angle. Apparently, the issue was visible and the stories came flowing. As Rufo and Choe reported from San Francisco, “Among the shelter’s residents was a group of Hondurans who identified as transgender.”

You don’t actually have to read much more of the report to get the full picture. It is no accident that “a group of Hondurans who identified as transgender” ended up in the same San Francisco homeless facility, and at least some of them admitted their illegal status. The point was clear enough. They were coming to California for free transgender treatments, free rent, and other benefits, all paid for by California taxpayers.

The report quoted “Lyca” and “Alondra,” both of whom “identified as transgender women.” Lyca told Rufo and Choe that he was an illegal immigrant, that the shelter didn’t even ask, and that the homeless illegal immigrants were offered full coverage under California’s Medi-Cal program. This “full scope” coverage includes what is defined as “gender affirming care” and transgender procedures. Lyca reported he had received hormone treatments, and the City Journal team colorfully explained, he “bore the physical signs of doing so.” Another housed at the facility revealed having received both hormone treatments and breast implants. Speaking of the latter, this man explained, “Even though you’re undocumented, you can get them.” I’ll leave it at that.

Some of the illegal immigrants were awaiting so-called “bottom surgery.” As Christopher Rufo posted on social media: “California is giving free sex-change procedures to homeless illegal aliens. Our team went into the shelters and discovered that trans migrants are coming to the state for hormones, breast implants, and ‘bottom surgeries’—all on the taxpayer dime.”

Rufo knows his business and has been one of the most effective critics of the cultural left and its atrocities. At the same time, you have to wonder if this one surprised even him.

The story gets even more interesting, since no less than the Washington Post editorial board came out with a statement of outrage against the policy and nailed liberal California Gov. Gavin Newsom as bearing responsibility. As the editors of the Post explained, even as California was facing a massive budget deficit of $68 billion in 2024, Gov. Newsom “extended the state’s Medicaid program, called Medi-Cal, to cover hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants.”

Furthermore, the editors explained that the Medi-Cal coverage extends even to “government-funded breast implants for anyone who wants to transition from male to female, regardless of whether they’re in the country legally or not.”

Gov. Newsom’s office vociferously defended the policy. The editors of the Post then openly questioned Newsom’s political future, noting that a similar stance had been fatal to the candidacy of Kamala Harris just two years ago.

The editors called Newsom’s position a “transgender gamble,” and they went on to suggest it would lead to political death on the national stage.

It’s worth remembering that back in 2025, with a presidential race already clearly in mind, Newsom made news in a podcast with the late Charlie Kirk, in which Newsom appeared to express concern that his party had lost its way on trans issues, specifically boys playing on girls’ teams. It was clear then that he didn’t really have a coherent policy. Then comes this. And Newsom’s office refused to back down.

The main point in all this is that such insanity is spreading. The transgender ideology is marching onward unabated, at least among adults—even among illegal migrants. To the political left, it is a matter of non-negotiable policy, paid for by taxpayers. California is now a destination goal for those seeking such procedures, supported with taxpayer monies—amounting to untold millions of dollars.

For Christians in the United States, this is yet another piece of evidence pointing to the great moral conflict of our age. For Christians in California, it’s also a matter of your money. For anyone with moral sanity, it’s also an alarm of impending cultural crisis. You can’t cover that up with lipstick.