Featured Image Credit: KCRA
Topics: California, Donald Trump, Politics, Sport, Transgender, LGBTQ
Liv Bridge
Topics: California, Donald Trump, Politics, Sport, Transgender, LGBTQ
Warning: This article contains discussion of discrimination against the trans community which some readers may find distressing
A transgender athlete who won a school track race has issued a frank response to critics.
AB Hernandez from California, who identifies as a transgender woman, shared the podium alongside her fellow athletes after crushing the state's high school track-and-field championship on May 31.
The 16-year-old, who joins the team at Jurupa Valley High School in Southern California, took home the gold for the triple jump, finishing with a final of 42 feet 2 inches, and shared first place with Kira Grant Hatcher, who jumped 40 feet 5 inches.
Advert
The California Interscholastic Federation altered the rules before the event, mandating that any competitors who lost to a trans athlete would not lose their ranking, meaning Hernandez's performance would not affect or displace any other female winners.
The rule also allowed an additional biological female student athlete to compete in each category where Hernandez was set to perform.
However, despite the clarification in fairness, Hernandez's involvement in the sport has sparked backlash over the last few months, with dozens of protesters turning up to track meets and before the competition to challenge her participation.
Now, the high school junior has spoken out with a simple message to her critics.
"It’s definitely crazy, I get a lot of hate comments, but I’m like, ‘I don’t care,’” she said in an interview with KCRA. “[I’m a] 16-year-old girl with a mad attitude. You think I’m going to care?”
The youngster slammed the protesters rocking up high school events as plain 'weird'.
“It’s just weird at this point,” Hernandez said, and while demonstrators gathered around the stadium gates to protest, the teen said people were mostly supportive inside the event.
“I wasn’t expecting any of it, to be honest. I was just expecting to go out there and compete alone, but the support was amazing,” she added.
“They really made my experience perfect. I will forever be grateful for them because they helped me get through the weekend.”
Hernandez also tied in the varsity high jump final against two girls, Jillene Wetteland and Lelanie Laruelle, where she again shared the podium with them due to the newly passed California policy.
“I did what I wanted to do,” Hernandez said. “My performance was all I wanted to be good. So all this backlash … I performed my best, so that’s all I cared about.”
The protests came following intense backlash over the federation's handling of transgender athletes like Hernandez and their success, including from President Donald Trump who had threatened to pull the plug on funds to the Golden State over its policy.
Taking to his platform Truth Social, Trump wrote: "California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum [sic], continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS.'"
The POTUS ordered the state that federal funding would be 'held back, maybe permanently' unless California obeyed his February executive order to protect women's sports.
Trump also had a heated debate with Maine governor Janet Mills over the issue earlier this year, accusing the state of breaking Title IX rules, which prohibits discrimination in education based on sex.
He threatened to withdraw federal funds for schools of around $250 million, though the White House later agreed to release the funds amid a legal challenge.
The Justice Department also announced plans last month that it would investigate if California's School Success and Opportunity Act, which allows trans students to compete in women's sport, is in conflict with Title IX.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT national hotline at 888-843-4564, available Monday to Friday 4pm-12am ET and 12pm-5pm ET on Saturdays.