Latest news with #Hernandez
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
AB Hernandez grins on podium as trans athlete wins state championship despite ‘violent' protests over competition
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TRANS athlete AB Hernandez was seen grinning and flaunting medals after defeating female rivals at the California state track championship. Hernandez claimed gold in the high jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state finals - defying Donald Trump's executive order that bans trans athletes from women's sports. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 AB Hernandez, center left, shares the first-place spot on the podium with Kira Gant Hatcher during a medal ceremony for the triple jump Credit: AP 9 AB Hernandez, center, flashes a victory sign as sharing the first-place spot on the podium with Jillene Wetteland, left, and Lelani Laruelle during a medal ceremony Credit: AP 9 Hernandez was seen grinning and flaunting medals Credit: AP 9 Hernandez of Jurupa Valley competes in the girls' long jump during the CIF State Track and Field Championships Credit: Getty 9 Demonstrators hold signs outside the Veteran's Memorial Stadium during the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, California Credit: AP Violent protests erupted yesterday as the trans pupil, 16, sparked a heated row after competing in women's sports. Trump had said on social media that he was 'ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow' Hernandez to compete. But the CIF this week introduced a new policy that allowed an additional student to compete and win medals in the events where Hernandez qualified. This is why the trans athlete shared winning spots with at least one female rival. Hernandez claimed tied-first place in the varsity high jump final alongside Lelani Laruelle and Jillene Wetteland - both females. The trans athlete later won another first-place in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher - who trailed by just over a half-meter. But the sports row surrounding Hernandez took a dramatic turn yesterday after furious protesters gathered around the stadium to denounce the trans teen. They were seen carrying placards and boards outside the Veterans' Memorial Stadium, where the sporting event took place. A banner reading "NO BOYS IN GIRLS' SPORTS!" was flown above the sporting venue during the high school track-and-field championships. Trump rips into boxer Imane Khelif about controversial Olympics win against Angela Carini The protests quickly turned violent after one person was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Clovis police Sgt. Chris Hutchison told the Chronicle. He said the person - understood to be an LGBTQ activist - allegedly used a Pride flag to smash a car window, leaving a person injured. During the heats, furious high school parents berated Hernandez's mother for the trans athlete's dominant victory. The video, which has now gone viral on TikTok, shows the parents hounding Hernandez's mother for allowing the teen to compete. One of the parents can be heard yelling at the mother: "What a coward of a woman you are allowing that." Hernandez's story previously made headlines after another teenage girl, who the athlete beat to first place in a separate contest, waited for Hernandez to descend from the podium before moving to pose in the top spot. In the TikTok, the parent can also be heard shouting: "Your mental illness is on your son, coward." 9 Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley leaves the track during the CIF State Track and Field Championships Credit: Getty 9 Hernandez competes in the high jump Credit: AP 9 A banner reading 'no boys in girls' sports!' is flown above Veterans' Memorial Stadium during the California high school track-and-field championships Credit: AP More than half of the US states have implemented bans on trans youth athletes participating since 2020. But California state law allows the participation of trans women and girls in women's sports. Trump posted on Truth Social: "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." His message refers to an Executive Order from February titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports". In an interview with Capital & Main, Hernandez, from Jurupa Valley, California, said: "There's nothing I can do about people's actions, just focus on my own." The trans pupil faced heckling and protesters in the crowd at a track meet earlier this month and was accompanied by campus security and Sheriff's Department deputies, CNN has reported.
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
AB Hernandez grins on podium as trans athlete wins state championship despite ‘violent' protests over competition
TRANS athlete AB Hernandez was seen grinning and flaunting medals after defeating female rivals at the California state track championship. Hernandez claimed gold in the high jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state finals - defying 's executive order that . Advertisement 9 AB Hernandez, center left, shares the first-place spot on the podium with Kira Gant Hatcher during a medal ceremony for the triple jump Credit: AP 9 AB Hernandez, center, flashes a victory sign as sharing the first-place spot on the podium with Jillene Wetteland, left, and Lelani Laruelle during a medal ceremony Credit: AP 9 Hernandez was seen grinning and flaunting medals Credit: AP 9 Hernandez of Jurupa Valley competes in the girls' long jump during the CIF State Track and Field Championships Credit: Getty 9 Demonstrators hold signs outside the Veteran's Memorial Stadium during the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, California Credit: AP Trump had said on social media that he was 'ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow' Hernandez to compete. But the CIF this week introduced a new policy that allowed an additional student to compete and win medals in the events where Hernandez qualified. This is why the trans athlete shared winning spots with at least one female rival. Advertisement read more on the row Hernandez claimed tied-first place in the varsity high jump final alongside Lelani Laruelle and Jillene Wetteland - both females. The trans athlete later won another first-place in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher - who trailed by just over a half-meter. But the sports row surrounding Hernandez took a dramatic turn yesterday after furious protesters gathered around the stadium to denounce the trans teen. They were seen carrying placards and boards outside the Veterans' Memorial Stadium, where the sporting event took place. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Breaking Exclusive Exclusive A banner reading "NO BOYS IN GIRLS' SPORTS!" was flown above the sporting venue during the high school track-and-field championships. Trump rips into boxer Imane Khelif about controversial Olympics win against Angela Carini The protests quickly turned violent after one person was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Clovis police Sgt. Chris Hutchison told the Chronicle. He said the person - understood to be an LGBTQ activist - allegedly used a Pride flag to smash a car window, leaving a person injured. During the heats, Advertisement The video, which has now gone viral on TikTok , shows the parents hounding Hernandez's mother for allowing the teen to compete. One of the parents can be heard yelling at the mother: "What a coward of a woman you are allowing that." Hernandez's story previously made headlines after another teenage girl, who the athlete beat to first place in a separate contest, waited for Hernandez to descend from the podium before moving to pose in the top spot. In the TikTok, the parent can also be heard shouting: "Your mental illness is on your son, coward." Advertisement 9 Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley leaves the track during the CIF State Track and Field Championships Credit: Getty 9 Hernandez competes in the high jump Credit: AP 9 A banner reading 'no boys in girls' sports!' is flown above Veterans' Memorial Stadium during the California high school track-and-field championships Credit: AP More than half of the US states have implemented bans on trans youth athletes participating since 2020. Advertisement But California state law allows the participation of trans women and girls in women's sports. Trump posted on Truth Social: "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." His message refers to an Executive Order from February titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports". In an interview with Capital & Main, Hernandez, from Jurupa Valley, California, said: "There's nothing I can do about people's actions, just focus on my own." Advertisement The trans pupil faced heckling and protesters in the crowd at a track meet earlier this month and was accompanied by campus security and Sheriff's Department deputies, CNN has reported. 9 AB Hernandez, second left, leaves the stadium after competing in the triple jump at the California high school track-and-field championships
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Transgender teen wins gold, shares medals at California school athletics championships
The transgender teen shared first place with two other athletes. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PIXABAY SAN FRANCISCO - A transgender high school athlete won two gold and a silver and shared the medals with rivals under new rules aimed at tamping down controversy over her participation in the California State Track & Field Championships on May 31. Ms AB Hernandez, 16, cleared 1.70m in the high jump with no failed attempts and shared first place with Ms Jillene Wetteland and Ms Lelani Laruelle – who each cleared the same height with one failed attempt. They topped the podium together at the championships held in Clovis, outside of Fresno, under new rules announced this week by the California Interscholastic Federation in response to criticism of the policy that allows transgender athletes to compete in girls' events. CIF first modified their championship entry rules so that biological females were not excluded from competition due to the participation of trans athletes. They then issued a rule change targeting events in which Ms Hernandez had qualified to compete – high jump, long jump and triple jump – saying any 'biological female student-athlete who would have earned a specific placement on the podium will also be awarded the medal for that place' in those events. The changes came after days of controversy that included a social media post from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to withhold future federal funding from California if Ms Hernandez was allowed to compete. 'As a female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,' Mr 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 is a totally ridiculous situation!!!' The US Department of Justice has also launched an investigation into whether California has violated Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. On May 29, Clovis mayor Diane Pearce also called for CIF to block Ms Hernandez's participation. During preliminary competition on May 31, a small plane circled the stadium pulling a banner that read: 'No boys in girls sports!' About a dozen protesters outside the venue sported T-shirts and signs reading 'Save girls sports'. Ms Hernandez shrugged off the controversy, also winning the triple jump and finishing second in the long jump. In the triple jump, Ms Hernandez leapt 12.87m and shared gold with Ms Kira Gant Hatcher, who jumped 40 feet five inches. Ms Loren Webster won the long jump with a jump of 6.40m. Ms Hernandez was second with 20 feet 8.75 inches and shared silver with Ms Brooke White, who jumped 19 feet 4.25 inches. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trans athlete in political storm earns, and shares, first place in event
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The California athlete at the center of a searing political debate over transgender girls competing in girls' sports went home a winner Saturday in what is arguably the most competitive state track and field meet in the nation. AB Hernandez , a junior from Jurupa Valley High School in Riverside County , shared first place in the high jump and triple jump, and also shared second in the long jump. Her spot on the awards podium was a sign of how complicated her participation in the competition had President Donald Trump threatening to cut federal funding to the state if the trans girl competed, the event organizer changed the rules just days before the event in hopes of allaying concerns about the fairness of allowing Hernandez to compete. The athlete who finished behind Hernandez would be elevated to share her first awards came after the long jump, and that moment of recognition did not turn out to be awkward or contentious, as some people had two girls -- Hernandez and Brooke White of River City High School -- joked around like any teenage girls would, giving each other an enthusiastic double-handed high-five before they squeezed onto one step of the podium together. Then after both received medals, they put their arms around each other, held their medals out from their chests and smiled for and the event's winner -- Loren Webster of Wilson High School -- both had leaped more than a foot farther than anyone else in the event. For Webster, it was a back-to-back state title in the event before she heads off to compete at the University of Oregon For Hernandez, it was the celebration she had waited for after a week of enduring an intense spotlight. Two years ago, two trans girls had qualified for the state meet but withdrew because they were afraid for their safety. The online harassment had grown an emailed statement from the group TransFamily Support Services , which is representing Hernandez's family, her mother, Nereyda Hernandez, wrote that her child has been attacked for "simply being who they are."She wrote that her daughter's competitors showed her respect and sportsmanship, but recently adults -- "some even in positions of power, who should be protectors of our youth" -- were the ones harassing performances drew interest far beyond the stadium in Clovis , a city near Fresno. Her participation, allowed under a 2013 state law that said students could compete in the category consistent with their gender identity, has fueled a searing political Gavin Newsom of California, a Democrat, earlier this year called it "deeply unfair" that trans girls compete in girls' Saturday, hours before the meet, Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for governor, also weighed in on the issue, holding a campaign stop just outside the by activists holding up signs that read "Save Girls Sports" and joined by the mayor pro tem of Clovis, Diane Pearce, Hilton called out Newsom for not adequately addressing the issue of trans girls competing in girls' sports."Every time he's asked about that, he just says, 'Oh, it's too difficult and there's nothing we can do,'" Hilton said, adding that there is, in fact, something that he could do: repeal the law that allows trans girls to play. He said he would press for the meet, some coaches inside the stadium acknowledged the complexity of the situation and were sympathetic to the trans athlete's place in the middle of a national Yapo, an assistant track coach at Santa Margarita High School , said the teenager has forced him to contemplate what he would do if he were to coach a trans athlete facing added scrutiny."I don't have the answer, but I'm going through the same process as many other people," Yapo said. "But being a decent human is more important."Bryn Williams, an assistant sprint coach at the school, which had athletes competing Saturday, said the new measures about final placement seemed reasonable given that the issue arose such a short time before the event."I think it is the definition of a compromise -- trying to meet in the middle over something knowing that not everyone is going to be 100% happy with the decision that was made," she put Hernandez at the center of the issue's spotlight was that she was good at her sport. She had gone into the meet as one of the favorites in the long jump and triple jump, worrying some coaches and competitors that she would win those events and displace girls who would have won state titles if she had not points she scored would matter, too, because schools were vying for a team title and the higher an athlete places, the more points she earns for her those concerns looming, the California Interscholastic Federation, the entity that organizes the state meet, crafted the last-minute compromise to try to keep the competition fair without excluding Saturday's finals began, people outside the stadium chanted through bullhorns, "No boys in girls' sports," and some people high up in the stands shouted the same thing during Hernandez's first event, the long jump. But before she took off down the runway, cheers drowned out the chanting, with several people shouting, "Go, girl!"She stepped over the takeoff line during her first attempt, a foul. Before her next jump, the announcer got on the loudspeaker to say that the event was pausing to allow the hecklers in the stands to quiet down. He said everyone should respect the the while, none of the athletes seemed bothered: At one point Hernandez stood under a tent as she awaited her next jump, sharing a laugh with a couple of fellow competitors as the chants from outside the stadium carried and Webster exchanged the lead a few times before Webster finished on top, with a jump of 21 feet, 1/4 inch, ahead of Hernandez's 20 feet, 8-3/4 inches. In the triple jump, Hernandez's jump was 42 feet, 2-3/4 inches -- nearly 2 feet longer than the next girl's the high jump, Hernandez cleared 5 feet, 7 inches, with no missed attempts, while two other competitors -- Lelani Laruelle and Jillene Wetteland -- also cleared the height, but each with one failed three of them climbed to the top step of podium together. A lone voice shouted from the crowd, "That's a boy!" but the girls appeared to ignore it, or did not hear it, and they continued to smile for the article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Los Angeles Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Transgender track athlete wins gold in California state championships despite Trump threat
CLOVIS, Calif. — Overcoming intense pressure to quit from President Trump, dozens of local protesters and other prominent critics of transgender athletes in girls' sports, 16-year-old AB Hernandez bounded past many of her peers to win multiple gold medals at California's high school track and field championships Saturday. The transgender junior from Jurupa Valley High School — who competed despite a directive from Trump that she be barred from doing so — won state titles in the girls' triple jump and the girl's high jump and took second place in the girls' long jump. Hernandez's success at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships in Clovis came amid high heat — with temperatures above 100 degrees for much of the day — and under an intense spotlight. Earlier in the week, Trump had said on social media that he was 'ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow' Hernandez to compete, wrongly alleging she had won 'everything' in a prior meet and calling her 'practically unbeatable.' Protesters gathered outside the meet both Friday and Saturday to denounce her inclusion and the LGBTQ+-friendly state laws allowing it. Despite all that, Hernandez appeared calm and focused as she competed. When her name was announced for the long jump, she waved to the crowd. When she was announced for the high jump, she smiled. Hernandez beat out all other competitors in the triple jump, though the runner-up was also awarded 1st place under new rules established by the California Interscholastic Federation after Trump issued his threats. Hernandez tied with two other girls in the high jump, with the three of them all clearing the same height and sharing the gold. Hernandez's mother, Nereyda Hernandez, heaped praise on her after the events in a statement provided to The Times, saying, 'As your mother, I cannot fully express how PROUD I am of you.' 'Watching you rise above months of being targeted, misunderstood, and judged not by peers, but by adults who should've known better, has left me in awe of your strength,' her mother said. 'Despite it all, you stayed focused. You kept training, you kept showing up, and now you're bringing THE GOLD HOME!!! During some of Hernandez's jumps, a protester could be heard on a bullhorn from outside the Buchanan High School stadium chanting 'No boys in girls' sports!' California Interscholastic Federation officials banned protest signs inside the facility, but outside protesters held a range of them — including ones that read 'No Child Is Born in the Wrong Body,' 'Trans Girls Are Boys: CIF Do Better,' and 'She Trains to Win. He takes the trophy?' Josh Fulfer, a 46-year-old father and conservative online influencer who lives near the stadium, said he was the protester on the bullhorn. He said Hernandez should not have been competing — regardless of how she placed — because her presence in the competition had a negative 'psychological effect' on her cisgender competitors. 'I stand with truth,' he said. 'Males should not be pretending to be females, and they shouldn't be competing against female athletes.' Loren Webster, a senior from Wilson High School in Long Beach who beat Hernandez in the long jump, said she wasn't giving Hernandez much thought — instead, she was focused on her own performance. 'It wasn't any other person I was worried about. I knew what I was capable of,' Webster said. 'I can't control the uncontrollable.' The intense focus on Hernandez over two days of competition Friday and Saturday reflected a broad rise in conservative outrage over transgender girls competing in sporting events nationwide, despite their representing a tiny fraction of competitors. It also reflected a concerted effort by Trump and other prominent conservative figures to single out Hernandez, individually, as an unwitting poster child for such concerns. Recent polls, including one conducted by The Times last year, have shown that many Americans support transgender rights, but a majority oppose transgender girls participating in youth sports. California has long defended transgender kids and their right to participate in youth athletics, but other states have increasingly moved to limit or remove such rights entirely. Trump first latched onto transgender issues with fervor during his presidential campaign, spending millions of dollars on anti-transgender political ads. Since being elected, he has issued a wave of executive orders and other policies aimed at rolling back transgender rights and protections. Again and again, Hernandez has been singled out in that discussion. Earlier this week, Trump referenced Hernandez in a social media post in which he said his administration would cut federal funding to California if it didn't block her from competing in this weekend's state finals and more broadly get in line with his executive order purporting to ban transgender youth from participating in school sports nationwide. The following day, U.S. Justice Department officials referenced Hernandez again, announcing the launch of an investigation into whether California, its interscholastic sports federation and the Jurupa Unified School District are violating the civil rights of cisgender girls by allowing transgender students such as Hernandez to compete in sports. At the meet Friday and Saturday, Hernandez often blended in with the hundreds of other athletes, hardly drawing attention. She was less conspicuous by far than the protesters there to denounce her for competing. Hernandez's mother has pleaded with Trump and other adults in recent days to show her daughter compassion, calling it heartbreaking 'every time I see my child being attacked, not for a wrongdoing, but simply for being who they are.' She has said her daughter 'is not a threat,' while the harassment directed at her is 'not just cruel, it's dangerous.' Local protesters — some with ties to national conservative organizations — cast Hernandez's competing in girls' events in starkly different terms. Before being escorted out by police, Sophia Lorey, outreach director for the conservative California Family Council, walked around the stadium Saturday wearing a hat reading, 'Women's Sports, Women Only.' She told members of the crowd that Hernandez was a boy and handed out pink 'Save Girls' Sports' bracelets and fliers directing people to an online petition calling on the California Interscholastic Federation to change its policies to bar transgender athletes from competition. Trump administration officials have taken a similar stance. In a letter Wednesday to interscholastic federation executive director Ronald W. Nocetti, Assistant Atty. Gen. Harmeet Dhillon, who was appointed by Trump to head the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, called Hernandez's success in recent track and field events 'alarming.' And she said the California policies allowing Hernandez to compete are a potential violation of Title IX, the 1972 federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs and other activities that receive federal funding. Dhillon also noted Gov. Gavin Newsom's own recent remark to conservative activist Charlie Kirk that transgender girls competing in sports is 'deeply unfair.' The remark came in a conversation on Newsom's podcast in March, in which Hernandez was also singled out. Kirk, a co-founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, asked Newsom whether he would voice his opposition to Hernandez competing in girls' track and field events. Newsom said he agreed such situations were 'unfair' but that he also took issue with 'the way that people talk down to vulnerable communities,' including transgender people. When Kirk suggested Newsom could say that he has 'a heart for' Hernandez but still thinks her competing is unfair, Newsom again said he agreed. Newsom has issued no such statement since. But, the playing field has shifted in California for transgender athletes since Trump started talking about Hernandez. On Wednesday, the CIF announced a change in its rules for this weekend's championships. Under the new rules, a cisgender girl who is bumped from qualifying for an event final by a transgender athlete will still advance to compete in the finals. In addition, the federation said, any cisgender girl who is beaten by a transgender competitor will be awarded whichever medal she would have claimed had the transgender athlete not been competing. The CIF did not mention Hernandez by name in announcing its policy change, but it did make direct reference to the high jump, triple jump and long jump — the three events in which she was to compete. Under the new rules, Hernandez shared her place on each of the event podiums with other girls. The CIF did not respond to a list of questions about its new policy. A spokesman for Newsom applauded the change, but others were unimpressed. Critics of transgender athletes rejected it as insufficient and demanded a full ban on transgender athletes. Fulfer, the protester on the bullhorn, said the CIF was 'admitting that they've got it wrong for a long time' while still not doing enough to fix it — which Trump would see clearly. 'I hope Donald Trump sees what happens this weekend, and I hope he pulls the funding away from California,' Fulfer said. LGBTQ+ advocates also criticized the rule change, but for different reasons, calling it a crass capitulation that singled out a teenager to appease a crowd of bullies picking a political fight. 'The fact that these same political players continue to bully and harass one child, even after CIF changed its policy, shows this was never about sports or fairness,' said Kristi Hirst, co-founder of the public education advocacy group Our Schools USA. 'It was simply about using a child, while compromising their personal safety on a national scale, to score political points and distract from the serious issues families and communities in this country are actually concerned about,' Hirst said, 'affording groceries, the loss of health care, and access to quality teachers and resources in their public schools.' Nereyda Hernandez said she hoped AB's wins would serve as inspiration for other kids who feel 'unseen.' 'To every young person watching, especially those who feel unseen or unheard, let AB be your reminder that authenticity, courage, and resilience shine BRIGHTER than hate,' she said. 'It won't be easy, but definitely worth it.'
