Across the nation, a startling incident at a high school track competition in California is provoking intense debate and indignation.

Despite placing second in the triple jump, Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran made a daring physical statement by taking the top spot on the podium at the CIF Southern Section Finals.

Why? AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete who was born male but now competes as female, defeated Hogan.

Is women’s sports under attack?

The nation is being torn apart by the controversy surrounding transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. Critics caution that it directly jeopardizes fairness and the integrity of women’s competition, while supporters argue that it is about inclusion, identity, and fundamental human rights.

Now, the problem is not only a cultural hot spot; it is also a political one. Former President Donald Trump made a daring move in February when he signed an executive order prohibiting transgender women from participating in female-only sports.

“The war on women’s sports is over,” Trump said, promising that “my administration will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes” during the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Naturally, the action sparked a national uproar, and not other states are following suit. For instance, Maine has publicly opposed prohibiting transgender athletes from playing women’s sports.

And now the hot argument has been rekindled by a viral moment from California.

The video

Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School made a bold statement on May 18 at the CIF Southern Section Finals.

After the official ceremony, Hogan returned to the podium and stood tall on the top spot, which was left unoccupied after the event’s winner, vocal transgender athlete AB Hernandez, left, despite finishing second in the triple jump.

Viral video of the incident swiftly became viral on the internet. It represented annoyance at what many perceive to be an unequal playing field.

Hernandez, an athlete who identifies as female but is physically male, won the tournament with a leap of 41 feet, 4 inches, more than four feet higher than Hogan’s.

Hernandez, a graduate of California’s Jurupa Valley High School, qualified for the May 24 CIF Masters Meet by winning the long jump and finishing eighth in the high jump.

The internet responded quickly.

The founder of the women’s sports advocacy group XX-XY, Jennifer Sey, stated, “This guy won the girls long jump and triple jump in a CA track meet over the weekend.”

He was eight feet ahead in the triple jump. He’s doing incredibly well!

“What an achievement, wow. Colin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, growled, “I’m positive it had nothing to do with being a biological male.”

A increasing chorus of disapproval was echoed by others.

One commenter wrote, “The true champion is in second place.” Well done, she! Another said, “This nonsense must end.”

At the meeting, a crude sign was observed that said:

“The weakest minds rejoice when the weakest men compete with girls.”

An additional user added:

“I’m over this. The same individuals who once battled for women’s rights are no longer involved in the movement.

A series of disputes

The criticism is the most recent in a series of disputes over transgender athletes participating in women’s competitions. Many cite prior high-profile occurrences, such as one that occurred in North Carolina and had long-lasting effects.

Payton McNabb, a 17-year-old volleyball player, was hit by a transgender player’s spike back in 2022, resulting in a catastrophic brain damage. Later, her mother stated:

We were not permitted to speak up at the time. “No, she’s not playing against a boy; it’s dangerous,” we couldn’t say.

Legislators in North Carolina passed laws prohibiting transgender athletes from playing on women’s and girls’ teams at the middle, high school, and collegiate levels as a result of the McNabb case.

However, not everyone supports such a policy. In a letter, more than 400 Olympic athletes, both past and present, urged the NCAA to refrain from implementing such prohibitions, stating that athletics should continue to be “for all” and that they wanted to be on the “right side of history.”

Hernandez, meanwhile, dismissed the indignation as “ridiculous.”

One online critic claimed that it is ridiculous that men compete against women. “Regular, normal people can participate in their traditional men’s and women’s sports, and trans people should have their own league.”

“Transgender women are women.”

Others, however, supported the young athlete’s eligibility to compete.

One user commented, “She complied with every regulation.” “The rules, not her, are the issue if people don’t like it.”

Another said, “Trans girls are girls.” “Hernandez prevailed handily.”

Hernandez talked candidly in a recent interview with Capital & Main about the outpouring of criticism she has encountered during a season of track and field that has been both full of memorable finishes and times when she didn’t even place on the podium.

Since you are an adult and I am still a child, your behavior betrays your character. “I don’t think you understand that this puts your idiotic claims to trash,” was all I could think. Because she is biologically male, she cannot be defeated. You no longer have evidence that I am unbeatable.

Studies indicate that transgender athletes have not continuously surpassed their cisgender counterparts, according to Capital & Main, an award-winning nonprofit organization that covers important economic, environmental, and social issues in California. Transgender women were actually shown to be less advantaged than cisgender women on a number of measures.

There is no indication that the problem will be resolved anytime soon. The battle over the future of women’s sports is far from done, with prominent athletes voicing their opinions on both sides and more governments attempting to impose prohibitions.

Additionally, it became much louder as a result of Reese Hogan’s silent protest from the platform.