Despite a stern warning from President Trump earlier this week not to allow trans athletes to compete in girls’ sports, the state of California allowed a transgender athlete to compete for and win championships at the state’s most important track and field event.
AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete who dominated female competition throughout the year, won first place in the girls’ high jump and triple jump on Saturday in Clovis, California.
Hernandez was bested by only one female athlete, Loren Webster, who outperformed the transgender athlete on Saturday, despite losing to him on Friday.
In a concession to Trump’s threat to pull funding from the state and order authorities to prevent trans athletes from competing in female categories, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) expanding its competitor pool and offering medals to any female athlete beaten by a trans competitor. According to the change in guidelines, the girls who finished behind Hernandez were awarded the medals they would have received had Hernandez not participated.
The change in rules did nothing to quiet tensions at what turned out to be a heated and tense day in Clovis. An LGBTQ protester named Ethan Kroll was arrested after shattering the window of a car with a flagpole. Conservative activist Josh Fulfer was identified as the target of the attack. Fulfer used pepper spray to repel the attack until police arrived.
“This afternoon at 3:55 PM, a disturbance between two adults occurred at the intersection of Nees/Minnewawa,” the Clovis Police Department reported. “One adult on the sidewalk and one in a vehicle at the intersection became involved in a disturbance that turned physical. During the disturbance, one of them used pepper spray against the other. EMS was called, and one of the adults was arrested.”
The protester was arrested for assault with a weapon and obstructing a police officer, according to Sergeant Chris Hutchison.
“We don’t have room for violence or property damage or anything like that,” Hutchison stated.
In another incident, a plane carrying a banner that read, “No boys in girls’ sports,” flew over the stadium on Friday.
The flight was organized and funded by women’s advocacy groups, including Women Are Real and the Independent Council for Women’s Sports, according to Fox News.
California Family Council outreach director Sophia Lorey posted a video to social media that shows her being escorted out of the stadium by CIF officials for handing out wristbands that said, “Save Girls’ Sports.”
A stunned Lorey told Fox News Digital that she had distributed wristbands at other events without issue.
“We handed out half-page fliers at the prelims event, and we were not told anything that we couldn’t do that,” she said.
Lorey also said that, unlike other events, a man on a megaphone repeatedly warned the crowd not to make any hateful or disparaging remarks to the athletes.
The state of California faces two federal investigations into its policies regarding trans athletes; one, a Department of Justice investigation launched earlier this week, and another Department of Education probe that was launched in February.
It remains to be seen whether Trump will follow through on his threat to pull funding in light of California’s defiance.
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