On May 31, two transgender high school athletes in California and Washington outpaced the girls they competed against in state championship track and field events. To put it plainly, two biological males finished ahead of the female competitors. Surprising? Not really.
There’s a reason why boys and girls, men and women, have traditionally competed on separate teams for decades: biology. Once puberty hits, boys develop physical advantages driven largely by testosterone—advantages that girls simply don’t have.
Yet in recent years, Democrats have pushed policies allowing transgender athletes to compete on women’s teams, creating what many see as an unfair playing field for girls and women. Former President Joe Biden attempted to use Title IX—the federal law banning sex discrimination—to force schools to allow transgender students to compete on teams matching their gender identity. Fortunately, courts rejected this reinterpretation, recognizing it as a radical departure from the law’s original intent.
Now, during his second term, President Donald Trump has taken steps to roll back what he calls “gender identity nonsense,” fighting to protect women’s sports. Many women thank him for this stand.
As Trump put it, the current situation is “ridiculous” and “TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.”
Let’s examine the recent cases from this past weekend.
In California—a state often seen as a hotbed for liberal policies—a transgender athlete won first place in both the girls high jump and triple jump at the state track championships. AB Hernandez, a high school junior, drew considerable attention in the lead-up to the event, even catching President Trump’s notice.
Before the final meet, Trump criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom for allowing this to happen, calling it a “ridiculous situation” and emphasizing how unfair it is to female athletes. While Newsom did not intervene this time, earlier this year he admitted in an interview that having boys compete in girls’ sports was “deeply unfair.” Whether that admission reflects genuine concern or political positioning remains uncertain.
In response, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from California, and on May 28, the Department of Justice announced an investigation into whether California’s law permitting transgender athletes in women’s sports violates Title IX.
Just days before the May 31 competition—and under federal scrutiny—California’s high school sports authority adjusted its rules to give more girls opportunities to compete and earn medals in the events Hernandez dominated. This was a step forward, allowing female athletes to gain recognition alongside Hernandez. But fundamentally, girls should never have been forced to compete against a transgender athlete in the first place.
Over in Washington state, the situation was even more troubling for female athletes. Transgender runner Veronica Garcia, 17, captured the Class 2A 400-meter state title for the second consecutive year. The runner-up, a girl, was denied the chance to claim the victory she rightfully earned.
Progressives remain adamant on this issue, yet their position ignores the obvious unfairness when biological males compete against females. This concern is not merely a conservative talking point—polls show broad consensus across the nation.
A New York Times poll from January 2025 found that 79% of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, oppose men competing in women’s sports. Similarly, a May 2025 AP-NORC poll revealed that over 70% of U.S. adults believe transgender athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls’ or women’s sports at any level—high school, college, or professional.
This does not mean there should be a lack of empathy for transgender athletes. However, in sports, biological realities matter deeply. The current system fails to provide a fair solution for female competitors.
I’m tired of hearing from the left that this is a fringe Republican issue affecting only a small number of girls. That’s simply not true. Instances of female athletes losing to biological males continue to surface regularly, highlighting the urgent need for a fair and balanced approach.
