Transgender teen competes in California high school athletics championships despite protests and Donald Trump criticism
CONTROVERSY Transgender teen AB Hernandez sparked controversy and rule changes while competing in California State Track & Field Championships amid protests and political backlash most notably US President Donald Trump. Picture:/AFP
On Friday, a small plane circled the stadium pulling a banner that read: "No boys in girls sports!"
Hernandez's participation at the meeting has been the subject of intense controversy, with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) scrambling to adjust competition rules this week as anger grew on all sides.
AB Hernandez, 16, was the top qualifier for Saturday's finals in the girls' long jump and girls' high jump at the California State Track & Field Championships in Clovis, outside of Fresno.
A transgender high school athlete shrugged off scattered protests and heated criticism from President Donald Trump to reach the finals of multiple events at California's state championships on Friday.
CIF Updates Rules on Trans Athlete Participation and Medal Allocation
On Tuesday, CIF officials announced that entry rules had been modified so that biological females were not excluded from competition due to the participation of trans athletes.
A day later, CIF issued another rule change -- specifically targeting events in which Hernandez was qualified to compete -- which mandates that any athlete who misses out on a podium finish behind a trans athlete would still receive a medal.
"If necessary, in the high jump, triple jump and long jump events at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships, a biological female student-athlete who would have earned a specific placement on the podium will also be awarded the medal for that place and the results will be reflected in the recording of the event," the federation announced in a statement.
The last-minute rules changes came after days of controversy which have included Hernandez being targeted by Trump on social media.
The US President, who did not mention Hernandez by name, threatened to withhold federal funding from California in future if she was allowed to compete in this week's championships, which got under way on Friday with finals due on Saturday.
"As a female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS," Trump wrote.
"Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to...This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!"
Trump's comment was followed by an announcement from the US Department of Justice that it had launched an investigation into whether California had violated Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding.
Local and state officials have also criticised Hernandez's participation, calling for the teenager to be prevented from competing.
At a press conference on Thursday, Clovis mayor Diane Pearce called for CIF to block Hernandez's participation following their rule amendments earlier in the week.
"Today, I call on CIF to do the right thing. Updates one and two were not enough, but the third time can be the charm," Pearce said.
"CIF still has a chance to make it right by removing biological males from girls' sports."
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Daily Maverick
4 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Gayton McKenzie should be relieved of his Cabinet position
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Leaving aside the inappropriate tone of engagement by a Cabinet Minister, it is the language of 'them' and 'us', threatening to divide and fomenting hate, which should disturb us all. In reporting by Marianne Thamm, we understand that, 'Daily Maverick has seen a letter dated 9 May from McKenzie to the chair and CEO of the Market Theatre following up on 'an audit' of 'non-South Africans employed by the various entities incorporated under the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture'. ' We need to fully understand how dangerous this kind of exercise of authority is from a man patently unfit to hold any leadership position. It beggars belief that he could have been considered for a Cabinet position. An 'all-in' GNU required this irksome compromise, it would seem. His Patriotic Alliance won eight seats in the National Assembly in last year's election, which represents 2.05% of the vote. 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Stilfontein When we witnessed a most abhorrent act as illegal miners were trapped inside a mine in Stilfontein with no help forthcoming, the response from Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, made national and international headlines when she said, stone-cold: 'You want to send our law enforcement officers to risk because criminals want to destroy our country? What if we send the police or military down there to supply them with food, the place explodes and caves in? What will happen? So families must continue to sacrifice because criminals got themselves into a bind?' It ran on, with Ntshavheni saying the government would not send help. 'We will smoke them out', she said, without understanding how objectionable her words were. What a disgrace. We recall Operation Dudula, which gained prominence on the streets, especially after its leader, Nhlanhla 'Lux' Dlamini, was arrested in 2022. Operation Dudula brought with it violent language and has enticed those at the margins of our society. There is a straight line from where we are today back to 2008 and the painful moment when violence was unleashed against foreigners across our country. McKenzie doubles down Instead of being remorseful and attempting to understand the constitutional imperatives at play, McKenzie reinforced his comments during an interview with the Africa Report on 22 May while attending the South Africa-France Investment Conference at Place Vendôme in Paris. If the interview is anything to go by, one shudders to think what further contribution McKenzie made at this conference. Responding to the civil society statement, he said, ''Our people don't have jobs. We've got double-digit unemployment, youth unemployment in our country, but illegal foreigners have jobs. 'We cannot allow this and they can call me vulgar. What is vulgar? It's giving your neighbour children food, shelter, water, while your own children are starving. That is vulgar… 'I will get rid of illegal foreigners. I will close this type of charity because we need patriotic charities in our country. I will close down the charities that are anti-government, that are anti-South Africa.' McKenzie, like all populists, understands grievance. But he was greeted with cheers by attendees at the Paris conference while hugging and handshaking. During the same interview, he claimed he had 'Presidential aspirations'. So, President Ramaphosa needs to be clear about where this GNU stands on xenophobia and also the threats to 'close down' 'anti-government' charities (sic). What exactly does this mean? In the same interview, he specifically attacked the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, one of the civil society signatories to the statement mentioned above. There can be no ambiguity about the role of civil society in a democracy. It is not McKenzie's gift, but a constitutional right and the President of the country should reassert this as head of state of our constitutional democracy. Complex causes As with everything else in South Africa, the reasons for violence are complex. Sometimes it has been driven by xenophobia, at other times a rather more confusing cocktail of anger, frustration and intolerance bubbling at the surface of our society, fuelled by exclusion, poverty and rampant unemployment. We seem to be straining at the seams as the repercussions of deep inequalities, our inability to bring about structural economic transformation after 1994 and the old baggage of the apartheid years come to haunt us. The environment is ripe for blaming 'the other' while competing for scarce resources. At the heart of the incendiary rhetoric lies populist exploitation and an instinct to simplify the complex. This is not unique to South Africa. We have seen it in Donald Trump's presidency and the arguments for Brexit. Widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo has driven voters in small towns towards the politics McKenzie espouses. Our towns and municipalities, mostly falling apart as a result of ANC corruption and neglect, are ripe pickings for the Patriotic Alliance. Last week, the party won a seat off the ANC in the small town of Sutherland, and the ANC was able to hold off the PA in two other closely contested by-elections. Last week, we heard of xenophobic violence flaring up in Addo, with dire consequences. We should not be so distracted by historical clips of Julius Malema singing 'Kill the boer!' that we fail to see McKenzie and his ilk in plain sight. Our challenges require thoughtful leadership rooted in the Constitution, not McKenzie's brand of politics, which will only result in further corruption and hate. We can call on our hapless politicians to 'put an end' to the xenophobic violence, rhetoric and disruption that often accompanies these protests, but xenophobia is a challenge for the whole of our society. Having said this, however, President Ramaphosa needs to send a clear message against this thuggery and intimidation by one of his Cabinet ministers. The reality is that McKenzie has no place in government and his clownishly dangerous comments must be met with sanction. If our passive President does not act against McKenzie's threatening comments against civil society and his illegal pronouncements against government entities, then we must assume that these comments represent the GNU Ramaphosa leads. DM
The South African
5 hours ago
- The South African
SECOND group of white Afrikaner 'refugees' arrive in United States
A second group of white South African Afrikaners have reportedly arrived in the United States under a controversial refugee policy signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year, sparking renewed global debate over race, immigration, and political messaging. According to posts from the US-based advocacy group Amerikaners , nine white South Africans landed in Atlanta this week as part of a pilot programme framed by the Trump administration as a response to alleged violence and land expropriation in South Africa – claims widely discredited by international human rights organisations. The executive order, quietly signed in February, granted refugee status to select white South Africans, citing fears of a so-called 'white genocide' – a term critics say is rooted in white nationalist rhetoric rather than verified facts. Organisations like Human Rights Watch and Africa Check maintain that while farm attacks do occur, there is no evidence of systemic targeting along racial lines. Among the recent arrivals is Charl Kleinhaus, 46, from Mpumalanga, who told the BBC he left his home, family, and dogs behind to pursue what he called a 'safer future' for his children. Another, 48-year-old Errol Langton, a farmer from KwaZulu-Natal, expressed hope to continue farming in the US. A source within the US government told The Hill that the goal is to resettle 'thousands more' Afrikaners by the end of the American summer, with consular processing already being expedited in Pretoria and Cape Town. This rapid acceleration has raised red flags. Critics say the policy selectively elevates a racially privileged group while overlooking far greater humanitarian crises in conflict zones like Sudan, Yemen, or the DRC. Still, right-wing US commentators have praised the move as a humanitarian response. South African reactions, meanwhile, remain split: some see it as a lifeline; others as a dangerous and racially charged distortion of the country's reality. Both the US State Department and the South African government have declined to comment publicly on the numbers or long-term intentions of the refugee programme. Analysts warn it could become a flashpoint issue in both domestic and foreign policy – particularly as the US heads into the 2026 election cycle. For now, however, the quiet arrival of these Afrikaner families marks the start of a broader, more contentious immigration experiment – one unfolding at the intersection of politics, identity, and international diplomacy. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
6 hours ago
- IOL News
More Afrikaners take up Trump's resettlement offer, thousands of applications being processed
The second batch of Afrikaner refugees arrived in the US on Friday. Pictured are US President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, during a meeting which aimed to clear misinformation about genocide claims. Image: Jim WATSON / AFP About 8000 applications have been made by Afrikaners to the US embassy to resettle in that country. The Afrikaners are taking up President Donald Trump's offer to resettle them amidst false claims of white genocide and persecution in South Africa. Another small batch of Afrikaners arrived in the US on Friday after an initial group of 49 left the country last month. Trump issued an executive order in February where Washington cited the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 as one that enables the persecution of Afrikaners. Solidarity's Jaco Kleynhans said the second group departed on a commercial flight on Thursday that landed in Atlanta in the US on Friday. 'It is a smaller group, including children. Several more groups will fly to the USA over the next few weeks. The US Embassy in Pretoria, in collaboration with the State Department in Washington DC, is currently processing 8,000 applications, and we expect many more Afrikaner refugees to travel to the USA over the next few months. "They are settling in states across the USA, but particularly southern states such as Texas, North and South Carolina, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska,' Kleynhans said. Reports indicate that the US embassy in South Africa is aware that 'refugees continue to arrive in the United States from South Africa on commercial flights as part of the Afrikaner resettlement programme's ongoing operations'. Solidarity said it has helped some people understand the application process better and referred them to the right people at the US embassy. They have also assisted the US government in determining the criteria for Afrikaner refugee status. Video Player is loading. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'Our primary focus is not refugee status for Afrikaners, but rather to find ways to ensure a free, safe, and prosperous future for Afrikaners in South Africa. We remain 100% convinced that South Africa can and must create a home for all its people,' Kleynhans said. He added that at least 20% of Afrikaners have already left the country 'because if they stayed, they would have been unemployed'. Kleynhans said he was campaigning in at least ten countries to increase international pressure on the SA government in the run-up to the G20 summit. On criticism that this refugee path is politically motivated, Kleynhans said: 'The American refugee programs are paid for by American taxpayers and it is outrageous that international organisations and foreign groups think they can dictate to the Trump administration who should be eligible for refugee status. If Americans disagree with Trump on this, they can elect a different president in three years." Kallie Kriel, AfriForum's CEO, said he did not know the Afrikaners who were leaving because they applied directly to the US embassy. 'Our view is not to condemn people (who are) leaving, but rather to condemn the circumstances in the country that have led to this, such as hateful chants, like 'Kill the Boer'," he said. Kriel added that matters were compounded by the government, including the president and courts, which failed to condemn the chant. He acknowledged that everyone in the country has challenges, but said Afrikaners felt threatened by the open call for such violence with the 'Kill the Boer' chant. 'No community should be targeted through calls for violence. Also taking away the future of young people who now have to go into the labour market, but then are discriminated against based on their skin colour. 'We want to address that, and that is why we are vocal, because we want to make sure that South Africa truly belongs to all who live in it,' Kriel said. Professor Siphamandla Zondi, a political analyst from the University of Johannesburg, said the US's welcoming of the second batch of white Afrikaners should not surprise anyone, especially in the absence of a change of US policy. 'We should expect more and more poor Afrikaners to take advantage of this to get a free pass to the US in search of basic jobs, which ordinarily would prove difficult to get visas for,' Zondi said.
