Latest news with #girlsSports
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
Trump, not trans athletes, is the greatest threat to girls sports
Never mind what you hear from grandstanding Fresno County politicians or read in the right-wing media. The greatest threat to the future of girls sports is not transgender athletes, including the section champion who qualified in three jumping events at this weekend's CIF State Track and Field Championships in Clovis. The greatest threat to girls sports is Donald Trump. And by extension, anyone who supports Trump policies that disemboweled the Department of Education. How can that be, some of you are undoubtedly asking yourselves. Didn't President Trump, the man who once declared he would 'protect' women 'whether women like or not,' threaten to withhold funding for California because the CIF allows trans athletes to compete? Yes, he did. Moreover, Trump's Department of Justice launched an investigation into the state for supposed violations of Title IX, the landmark law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funding. Trump's use of Title IX to fuel his crusade against trans athletes — parroted by local politicians as they jousted for airtime on the local news — is darkly ironic and deeply hypocritical. Because while Trump virtue signals with Title IX in one hand, the other moves to dismantle the branch of federal government responsible for ensuring that the rights of millions of females are protected. Not just young women athletes but young women of many cross-sections: LBGTQ students, student survivors of sexual assault, minority students and disabled students. Trump's March executive order to gut the Department of Education (and with it the Office of Civil Rights) is already having a massive impact on how Title IX is regulated and enforced at public institutions across the country. By laying off half of the DOE staff, a move carried out by Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, Trump's order increased the caseloads of the remaining OCR case workers by 200% and shuttered seven of the 12 regional OCR offices (including the one in California), according to the National Women's Law Center. Enforcing Title IX rules that guarantee female athletes don't get short shift falls under the OCR's purview. Investigators ensure K-12 school districts, colleges and universities support men's and women's sports programs at the same level through equitable budgets, scholarships, coaching salaries, equipment and travel. And that's just athletics. The OCR investigates the claims of sexual assault and harassment victims while also probing complaints of discrimination against students based on their race, gender identity, religion and disability status. The early returns under Trump aren't good. According to a recent Pro Publica investigation, the number of civil rights cases being resolved on college campuses has plummeted since the executive order was issued while cases closed by the office that were dismissed without being investigated have jumped. 'OCR is the most useless it's ever been, and it's the most dangerous it's ever been. And by useless, I mean unavailable. Unable to do the work,' former OCR attorney Michael Pillera told the nonprofit news organization. If the true aim of Trump administration policies were to protect the rights of females and ensure girls and women's sports thrive, it would make little sense to gut the federal agency largely responsible for achieving that goal. Yet here we are. The hypocrisy of using Title IX as a weapon against the rights of transgender athletes while ignoring Trump policies that render Title IX toothless was lost on several Fresno County politicians Thursday as they took turns blasting the CIF, Gov. Gavin Newsom, the State Legislature. The only fresh idea on a complex and thorny issue came from first-term Republican Assemblymember David Tangipa, who proposed creating an 'open division' for transgender athletes to compete against boys or anyone else at the CIF level but separate from biological females. 'That way anybody who wants to compete can compete, but we also guarantee that there is a space for our young women and our young athletes to compete just like what Title IX has already settled,' Tangipa said. Already settled? If only. Under Trump 2.0, the federal statute protecting the civil rights of millions of young female athletes has been unambiguously weakened. Which constitutes a far greater danger to the future of girls' sports than a few transgender athletes.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Transgender teenager sparks Donald Trump fury after thrashing female track rivals
A transgender high-school athlete shrugged off protests and heated criticism from Donald Trump to reach the finals of multiple events at California's state championships on Friday. 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. Her triple jump measured 41 feet – nearly 10 inches further than her closest rival. 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. On Friday, 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'. On Tuesday, CIF officials announced that entry rules had been modified so that biological females were not excluded from competition because of 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 rule 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 underway 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 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. Hernandez's mother, Nereyda, responded on Instagram and said: 'Hate has no place in leadership and NO child, ESPECIALLY not MINE, should become the target of a national campaign of cruelty just because they are different. We need a president who protects ALL children, not just the ones that fit a political narrative. 'We must choose unity over division, love over hate, and humanity over politics. 'My child is not a threat; SHE IS LIGHT!!! As AB's mother, I will continue to stand by her, proudly fiercely, and unconditionally.' 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.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
Transgender teenager sparks Donald Trump fury after thrashing female track rivals
A transgender high school athlete shrugged off protests and heated criticism from Donald Trump to reach the finals of multiple events at California's state championships on Friday. 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. Her triple jump measured 41 feet – nearly 10 inches further than her closest rival. 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. On Friday, 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'. On Tuesday, CIF officials announced that entry rules had been modified so that biological females were not excluded from competition because of 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 underway 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 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. Hernandez's mother, Nereyda, responded on Instagram and said: 'Hate has no place in leadership and NO child, ESPECIALLY not MINE, should become the target of a national campaign of cruelty just because they are different. We need a president who protects ALL children, not just the ones that fit a political narrative. 'We must choose unity over division, love over hate, and humanity over politics. 'My child is not a threat; SHE IS LIGHT!!! As AB's mother, I will continue to stand by her, proudly fiercely, and unconditionally.' 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.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
AB Hernandez: The 16-year-old transgender girl at heart of sports row in California
California's best high school athletes are competing this weekend at the State Championships. The stadium in Clovis, a city in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, is dressed for the occasion. Huge banners welcome athletes from across the state, food stalls line the concourse and teenagers sell event programmes. "Good luck to all the athletes and their coaches," the inside of the programme reads. Many of the athletes have trained for years and, for some, receiving lucrative university scholarships rests on their performance here. But one issue, one competitor, is dominating the chatter. "Which one is she?" I hear a group of boys asking. They're talking about AB Hernandez, a 16-year-old transgender girl, who is now the focus of a legal, political and cultural row. She was born a boy but has transitioned and now competes against the girls. Hernandez is favourite to win the long jump and the triple jump and is also competing in the high jump. Her inclusion in the girls category has become a national conversation. Read more: As she competes, a plane flies over the stadium trailing a banner, which reads "No boys in girls sports." It was organised and paid for by two women's advocacy groups. A small protest is also taking place on the road outside. "Save girls sports," one poster reads. "XX does not equal XY," reads another. Aurelia Moore is a local mum and sport fan. "These kids get up at the crack of dawn," she says. "They work out before school, they go to school, they work out after school, the weekends they work out. And for that just to be taken away so that we can make a boy feel better is just it's wrong. It's very wrong." Transgender inclusion is a thorny issue but a vote winner for President Trump, who campaigned with a promise to "kick out men from women's sport." He signed an executive order seeking to ban transgender women from female sport. Trump is now threatening to withdraw federal funding from California over Hernandez's participation in this athletics event. In a social media post he wrote: "As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable." 'No special advantage' Transgender rights activists attended the event to support Hernandez, cheering her efforts in the high jump. Jessica Schultz is a representative of the party for socialism and liberation, a communist political group. "All girls deserve to play in girls sports and trans girls are girls," she says. "So they don't have any extra extreme advantage than somebody who is naturally tall or has naturally wide wingspan like Michael Phelps. "I'm surprised that the president has time to concern himself with a high school athletic competition," she added, "but it is not surprising because he has a lot of hateful ideals." Hernandez has required security at previous events because of abuse against her. A video recently went viral showing her mother being harangued by mums of other student athletes. One of the voices in the video is Sonja Shaw, a school board president for Chino Valley, a district of California. "I said, boys are boys, girls are girls," she says, "And then, I turned to the stands and I'm like, 'is there anybody that's okay with a boy competing against the girls right now?'" Girls 'can't win' There are hundreds of thousands of high school students playing sport in California, but only a handful of publicised cases of transgender girls playing girls' sport. I ask Sonja if the issue is being overblown? "Absolutely not because it's growing," she says. "You have girls who should be on that first-place podium. They work their whole life. Their dream is to be a winner and they can't even win, they can't even compete against these boys." In response to the backlash about Hernandez's participation, California is now allowing more cisgender girls to compete here. They may also award two winners if Hernandez finishes first. It's a messy and controversial situation and it's not going away.
Sky News
14 hours ago
- General
- Sky News
AB Hernandez: The 16-year-old transgender girl at heart of sports row in California
California's best high school athletes are competing this weekend at the State Championships. The stadium in Clovis, a city in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, is dressed for the occasion. Huge banners welcome athletes from across the state, food stalls line the concourse and teenagers sell event programmes. "Good luck to all the athletes and their coaches," the inside of the programme reads. Many of the athletes have trained for years and, for some, receiving lucrative university scholarships rests on their performance here. But one issue, one competitor, is dominating the chatter. "Which one is she?" I hear a group of boys asking. They're talking about AB Hernandez, a 16-year-old transgender girl, who is now the focus of a legal, political and cultural row. She was born a boy but has transitioned and now competes against the girls. Hernandez is favourite to win the long jump and the triple jump and is also competing in the high jump. Her inclusion in the girls category has become a national conversation. As she competes, a plane flies over the stadium trailing a banner, which reads "No boys in girls sports." It was organised and paid for by two women's advocacy groups. A small protest is also taking place on the road outside. "Save girls sports," one poster reads. "XX does not equal XY," reads another. Aurelia Moore is a local mum and sport fan. "These kids get up at the crack of dawn," she says. "They work out before school, they go to school, they work out after school, the weekends they work out. And for that just to be taken away so that we can make a boy feel better is just it's wrong. It's very wrong." Transgender inclusion is a thorny issue but a vote winner for President Trump, who campaigned with a promise to "kick out men from women's sport." He signed an executive order seeking to ban transgender women from female sport. Trump is now threatening to withdraw federal funding from California over Hernandez's participation in this athletics event. In a social media post he wrote: "As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable." 'No special advantage' Transgender rights activists attended the event to support Hernandez, cheering her efforts in the high jump. Jessica Schultz is a representative of the party for socialism and liberation, a communist political group. "All girls deserve to play in girls sports and trans girls are girls," she says. "So they don't have any extra extreme advantage than somebody who is naturally tall or has naturally wide wingspan like Michael Phelps. "I'm surprised that the president has time to concern himself with a high school athletic competition," she added, "but it is not surprising because he has a lot of hateful ideals." Hernandez has required security at previous events because of abuse against her. A video recently went viral showing her mother being harangued by mums of other student athletes. One of the voices in the video is Sonja Shaw, a school board president for Chino Valley, a district of California. "I said, boys are boys, girls are girls," she says, "And then, I turned to the stands and I'm like, 'is there anybody that's okay with a boy competing against the girls right now?'" Girls 'can't win' There are hundreds of thousands of high school students playing sport in California, but only a handful of publicised cases of transgender girls playing girls' sport. I ask Sonja if the issue is being overblown? "Absolutely not because it's growing," she says. "You have girls who should be on that first-place podium. They work their whole life. Their dream is to be a winner and they can't even win, they can't even compete against these boys." In response to the backlash about Hernandez's participation, California is now allowing more cisgender girls to compete here. They may also award two winners if Hernandez finishes first. It's a messy and controversial situation and it's not going away.
