California’s high school sports authority quietly expanded eligibility for this weekend’s state track and field championships Tuesday, hours after President Donald Trump threatened to cut federal funding unless the state disqualified a transgender girl athlete. Trump said that he would discuss the matter with Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
After Trump’s threats, the California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school athletics in the state, announced a new “pilot entry process” for the CIF State Championships on May 30–31. Under the policy, cisgender girls who narrowly missed qualifying—allegedly due to the inclusion of a transgender competitor—will now be offered a chance to compete.
At the center of the escalating controversy is AB Hernandez, a 17-year-old trans junior from Jurupa Valley High School, who recently won two Southern Section titles in the girls’ long jump and triple jump. Though he didn’t name her directly, Trump’s post on Truth Social earlier in the day railed against a “transitioned Male athlete” who “won everything” and warned that “large-scale funding” would be withheld from California if she is allowed to compete.
Trump also claimed he would instruct local authorities to intervene—an extraordinary assertion with no legal grounding.
“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the federation said in a statement. “The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes.”
Sacramento NBC affiliate KCRA reports that scoring may now be separated by category, potentially resulting in three winners per event: one transgender girl, one cisgender girl, and one cisgender boy.
Advocates for Trans Equality did not immediately respond to The Advocate’s request for comment.
A spokesperson for Newsom, whose office was informed of the CIF policy in advance, called it a “reasonable, respectful way” to navigate the issue, KCRA reports. Newsom came under fire for agreeing with far-right activist Charlie Kirk in March that trans inclusion in girls’ sports is “deeply unfair.”
The Advocate contacted Newsom’s office for comment.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, chair of California’s LGBTQ+ caucus, told KCRA, “California law protects trans people. That won’t change. There’s only one answer to a bully: No.”
Read the full article here
