A transgender girl in California qualified for this week’s state high school track and field meet, and her inclusion in the two-day event has angered people who do not believe that trans girls should compete in girls’ events. They believe that trans girls hold a physical advantage and say that allowing them to take part is unfair.
Her participation has fueled a political debate that has reached the White House: President Trump has threatened to pull federal funding from the state if it lets the trans girl, AB Hernandez, compete at the meet. Civil rights advocates have denounced the threat as bullying behavior.
Now the eyes of the president, the governor, conservative activists and transgender rights groups are on the meet, which began Friday in Clovis, near Fresno. It’s arguably the most competitive high school track and field meet in the nation.
Here’s what to know:
What events is the trans girl competing in?
Hernandez, of Riverside County, qualified for the meet in three events: the high jump, the long jump and the triple jump. On Friday, she finished as the top qualifier in all three events and advanced to Saturday’s finals. There, medals typically go to the top nine athletes. She is one of the favorites in the long jump and the triple jump.
What is the gist of the debate?
People who are against trans girls’ competing in girls’ events believe that those athletes hold unfair advantages over other competitors. Athletes who were born male, they say, have a physiological edge — including muscle mass and bone length — that they retain even after their transition. They think that physical edge makes it harder for all girls to have an equal chance at making teams, qualifying for meets and winning.
In California, trans girls have had the right to compete in girls’ events since 2013, when a law was passed that said students could participate in school sports in the category that matched their gender identity.
