Introduction to the Controversy
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.
The Event and Its Challenges
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.
Performance Under Pressure
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.
Reaction from Family and Peers
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!!!”
Protests and Controversy
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.
Broader Implications and National Debate
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.
Political Involvement and Policy Changes
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.
Conclusion
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.” The story of AB Hernandez is a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of supporting all individuals, regardless of their gender identity, in their pursuit of excellence and happiness.
FAQs
- Q: Who is AB Hernandez?
- A: AB Hernandez is a 16-year-old transgender athlete from Jurupa Valley High School who competed in and won multiple gold medals at the California high school track and field championships despite facing opposition from President Trump and other critics.
- Q: What were the events AB Hernandez competed in?
- A: AB Hernandez competed in the girls’ triple jump, high jump, and long jump at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships.
- Q: What was the reaction to AB Hernandez’s participation?
- A: The reaction was highly polarized, with supporters praising her courage and detractors, including President Trump, protesting her participation and calling for her to be barred from competing in girls’ sports.
- Q: How did the California Interscholastic Federation respond to the controversy?
- A: The CIF announced a change in its rules, allowing a cisgender girl who is bumped from qualifying for an event final by a transgender athlete to still advance to compete in the finals, and awarding medals to cisgender girls as if the transgender athlete were not competing.
- Q: What message did AB Hernandez’s mother convey?
- A: AB Hernandez’s mother expressed pride in her daughter’s strength and resilience, hoping that her daughter’s achievements would inspire other young people who feel unseen or unheard.
