03-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: How a trans high school athlete is making me rethink my sports fandom
Regarding 'Trans athlete embraced as California track and field champion by peers while adult activists duel' (High School, June 1): As a child in the 1960s, my hero was Willie Mays. As an adult and 72-year-old lifetime sports fan, I had no sports heroes — until now.
The accomplishments of Jurupa Valley High School track standout and trans female AB Hernandez at the state championship made me reconsider my hiatus from worshipping athletes.
As a high-jumper, long-jumper and triple-jumper, AB has persevered and soared (pun intended), while tolerating the relentless bigotry, hatred, religious intolerance, transphobia and the profound ignorance of adults led, shamefully, by our president. These adults not only protest against this young woman's participation in sports, they deny her very existence.
Let me add Brooke White as a sports hero. The cisgender River City High-West Sacramento long jumper who competed with AB said, 'Sharing the podium was nothing but an honor … she's a superstar, she's a rockstar, she's representing who she is.'
As for 'local right-wing activist and blogger Josh Fulfer,' who says young people like White have a 'fear of speaking out' and need 'adults in the room to be the voice for them,' I trust these young people to get this right. Condescending bigots like Fulfer notwithstanding.
Barry Goldman-Hall, San Jose
Refocus LGBTQ+ lens
Most of the LGBTQ+ community are just people living their lives openly and freely. Drag and being trans are a part of this community, but it is a small part.
During this time of assault against the LGBTQ+ community, it may be smart to focus on people such as Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, or Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.
Emphasizing drag and trans people adds fuel to the fire that President Donald Trump is igniting around the country. This is the mistake that the Democratic Party made, and look where it got them.
Gloria Judd, San Francisco
Losing small-town charm
Regarding 'A luxury hotel could transform this California town. Some residents are fighting back' (Bay Area, May 30): When I moved to Petaluma in 1986, it still had the feel of a small town. That, of course, has changed.
But, until recently, it still had the feel of a town whose stores and restaurants were there to serve the people of Petaluma, not tourists.
Petaluma used to have visitors. People from the Bay Area who wanted to see the Butter and Eggs Day parade or the antiques fair or just visit family. We had some nice clothing stores and some decent, unpretentious restaurants. Now we have trendy boutiques and expensive, fancy restaurants that bring in rich tourists.
It's a sad commentary if the only way a city can survive is with an economy based on tourism. As a society, our hobbies are now eating, drinking and shopping. And we like to travel all over the world to do it.
Sometimes, change is good. Sometimes, it means improvement. But sometimes, it means taking something fine and twisting it to meet the demands of a privileged few who are just trying to make more money.
Gail Sickler, Petaluma
Hold a benefit concert
The Golden Gate Park shows by Dead & Company have stirred up a lot of debate and anger about high ticket prices, especially since the original band used to play there for free.
But there's one option that might take away some of the rancor and keep with the original band's ethos: Make at least one of the three shows a benefit concert. There are plenty of worthy organizations, soon to be more needy than ever in these trying MAGA times. There's also the Dead's longstanding and fine Rex Foundation.
