Donald Trump’s administration threatens California with heavy fines over transgender athlete.
During a recent rally, President Donald Trump directly targeted AB Hernandez, a transgender teenage athlete, by disparaging her appearance and involvement in girls’ sports.
Although it may seem like just another political jab, there are far more serious implications. It serves as a reminder that visibility often carries a price for many transgender people in America.
At a recent campaigning event, Trump mocked AB Hernandez, a transgender high school athlete who had recently competed in girls’ track.
Trump declared that “men should not be allowed to dominate women’s sports,” referring to AB by the wrong gender and framing their participation as a threat to fairness in female sports.
While Trump’s rhetoric on transgender rights is not new, he keeps using it as a political wedge issue.
Trump’s remarks are not unexpected; they align with a broader trend in the U.S. to limit the rights of transgender people, especially in sports.
According to the Movement Advancement Project, 26 U.S. states have passed laws banning transgender girls and women from competing in school sports.
Many of these laws were introduced or gained traction during Trump’s presidency.
Meanwhile, conservative lawmakers continue to propose federal legislation that would ban transgender athletes from participating in sports at all educational levels, something Trump agreed with.
These efforts are often framed as protecting “women’s fairness” in sports, but critics argue they erase trans people’s humanity.
AB Hernandez is a 16-year-old track and field athlete from California who transitioned in middle school and has been living as a girl for years.
She had been participating in her school’s girls’ track team until her recent win in a local race was picked up by the far-right media.
By singling out AB, Trump turned a teenage girl into a symbol of everything his political base fears about social change. It’s not about one race or one teen; it’s about control.
One of the most common arguments used against trans athletes is their potential to create an unfair playing field. But research doesn’t support the claims.
Endocrinologist Bradley Anawalt from the University of Washington School of Medicine found little firm scientific data to determine whether there is a biological advantage for individuals born male, consistent with being assigned male at birth and exposed to testosterone.
According to Trevor Project’s 2022 U.S. National Survey, nearly half of transgender women and girls reported seriously considering suicide in the past year, and 12% attempted suicide.
This echoes the dystopian narratives in The Handmaid’s Tale, where women are monitored, regulated, and stripped of agency.
The current wave of anti-transgender legislation reflects a society that is increasingly obsessed with categorising and controlling bodies that don’t conform to the status quo.
Policy and public humiliation are telling trans youths like AB that their identities are up for debate and their bodies are under scrutiny.
As Trump returns to the presidency, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This isn’t just a culture war issue; it’s a civil rights issue. It’s about whether young people like AB get to grow up in a world where they’re safe, seen, and celebrated.
