Trans Teen Competes Amid Protests at California Finals

31 May at 7:35 pm

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Trans Teen Competes Amid Protests at California Finals \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Transgender athlete AB Hernandez continues to compete in California’s high school track-and-field finals amid political and public controversy. Protests and national criticism followed her performance in Friday’s qualifying events. A rule change aims to balance inclusion and fairness.

Quick Looks

AB Hernandez, a transgender teen, leads in three girls’ field events.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) introduced a new rule to expand medals.
The rule allows additional “biological female” athletes to medal in affected events.
Protests emerged Friday, including a banner plane reading: “No Boys in Girls’ Sports!”
Former President Trump criticized Hernandez’s participation and threatened funding cuts.
The U.S. DOJ is now investigating potential sex discrimination violations.
Despite protests, Hernandez delivered top performances in long, high, and triple jump.
CIF insists its policy complies with California’s gender identity law.
One protest-related arrest occurred outside the venue on Friday.
Hernandez declined press interviews, but told critics, “I’m still a child.”
Jaden Jefferson also made headlines with a near-record 100m sprint.

Deep Look

In a weekend that has drawn national scrutiny, transgender high school athlete AB Hernandez continues her record-setting march through California’s prestigious state track-and-field championships — a competition now thrust into the center of the national debate over trans inclusion in sports. Competing under intense media spotlight, political backlash, and vocal public protests, Hernandez topped qualifying rounds in three girls’ events and is now heading into Saturday’s finals in a controversy that has attracted attention all the way to former President Donald Trump.

Hernandez, a standout student-athlete, finished first in the long jump, high jump, and triple jump during Friday’s qualifying rounds, outperforming her peers with impressive margins. Her participation, however, has reignited fierce debate over transgender girls in women’s athletics, prompting the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) to implement a new policy that may be the first of its kind nationwide.

The rule change, announced just days before the championship, allows one additional athlete to compete and be eligible for medals in the events where Hernandez has qualified. While the CIF did not remove Hernandez from the competition, officials say the change was designed to give more opportunities to what it calls “biological female” athletes.

According to the CIF, “The organization values all student-athletes and will continue to provide opportunities to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law.” The policy reflects a growing tension between state laws that support transgender inclusion and public concern about fairness in women’s sports.

Protests, Politics, and Planes

The meet, held at a high school near Fresno, unfolded amid 90-degree heat and heated rhetoric. Protests outside the venue remained relatively small — fewer than 10 people gathered Friday, some wearing “Save Girls’ Sports” shirts. Inside the stadium, the atmosphere was mostly calm until a protester shouted an insult during Hernandez’s high jump attempt.

Most notably, a banner-towing plane flew over the stadium for more than an hour, displaying the message: “No Boys in Girls’ Sports!” The stunt was orchestrated by two advocacy groups — the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and Women Are Real — both of which oppose transgender inclusion in women’s athletics.

Outside the event, one person was arrested following a physical altercation related to the protests, according to Clovis Police.

Hernandez, who has not spoken publicly since Friday, told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month, “I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,” in reference to her critics.

Despite the backdrop, Hernandez excelled. Her triple jump reached nearly 41 feet, nearly 10 inches ahead of her nearest competitor, while her long jump approached 20 feet and she easily cleared 5 feet, 5 inches in the high jump.

Legal Threats and Rule Challenges

California law currently allows students to participate in sports aligned with their gender identity, but that hasn’t stopped calls for legal pushback. In recent weeks, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from California unless transgender girls are barred from girls’ athletic teams — a move that escalated political pressure on CIF. While the federation says the rule change was not a reaction to Trump’s comments, the timing has raised eyebrows.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed it is investigating whether the CIF and the school district violated federal sex discrimination laws by allowing Hernandez to compete.

Meanwhile, California Republican lawmakers have criticized CIF’s stance, holding a press conference to demand Hernandez be disqualified. The CIF has not clarified how it defines “biological female” nor how it plans to verify athletes’ eligibility under this new rule — a lack of transparency that some legal experts suggest could lead to new forms of discrimination.

A National Flashpoint

This case has quickly become a national touchpoint in the broader debate over transgender rights in youth sports. A recent AP-NORC poll found that roughly 70% of Americans believe trans girls should not compete in girls’ sports — a number that includes nearly 90% of Republicans and half of Democrats.

California’s championship is uniquely positioned in this debate. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the state has the second-highest number of track and field athletes in the country, trailing only Texas. The prominence of the event only amplifies the conversation.

Meanwhile, the competition continued with other standout performances. One such highlight came from Jaden Jefferson, a junior at De La Salle High School, who ran the 100-meter dash in 10.01 seconds, roughly 0.2 seconds faster than the current meet record. His result will only become official if he repeats the performance in Saturday’s final.

As Saturday’s championship events unfold, all eyes remain on Hernandez, whose athletic prowess — and the broader debate surrounding her participation — now symbolize the clash of inclusion, fairness, and identity in American high school sports.