California changes competition rules for track and field finals amid row over trans athlete

Sacramento (California), May 28 (AP) The governing board for California high school sports is changing its competition rules at this weekend's state track and field championships to allow more girls to take part amid a controversy over the participation of a trans student-athlete.
    The California Interscholastic Federation said it was extending access for more “biological female” athletes to participate in the championship meet.
    The group announced the change Tuesday after President Donald Trump posted on his social media site about the participation of a trans athlete in the competition.
    “Under this pilot entry process, any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF state meet, and did not achieve the CIF state at-large mark in the finals at their section meet, was extended an opportunity to participate in the 2025 CIF state track and field championships,” the federation said in a statement.
    “The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes.”
    The move comes amid a nationwide battle over the rights of transgender youth in which states have limited transgender girls from participating on girls sports teams, barred gender-affirming surgeries for minors and required parents to be notified if a child changes their pronouns at school.
    At least 24 states have laws on the books barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain women's or girls sports competitions.
    Some of the policies have been blocked in court.
    A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 US adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women's sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats.
    The federation didn't specify whether the change applies to all events or only events where a trans athlete has qualified for the final.
    The change only applies to this weekend's competition.
    The organisation didn't immediately answer a question about how many students it expects will be affected by the change.
    The rule change may be the first attempt nationally by a high school sports governing body to expand competition when trans athletes are participating, though the action is so far limited to a single meet.
    In a social media post Tuesday morning, Trump threatened to pull federal funding in California if the state did not bar trans students from participating in girls sports.
    The post referenced AB Hernandez, a trans athlete who competes in girls track and field.
    Hernandez is scheduled to compete in the girls varsity triple jump, high jump and long jump in the state finals this weekend.
    She won the Division 3 girls long jump and girls triple jump and placed seventh in the high jump at the Southern Section Division Finals on May 19, according to CIF results.
    “THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
    Trump also criticised Maine's Democratic governor after she said the state would take the president to court over his effort to keep trans girls from competing in girls sports.
    The Trump administration launched an investigation earlier this year over a law that says districts can't force teachers and staff to notify parents if a student changes their gender identity at school. (AP) ARI
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)