(The Center Square)–The California Family Council led a protest Saturday outside Yorba Linda High School ahead of the CIF Southern Section Division 3 Track and Field Preliminary meet, urging the California Interscholastic Federation to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports.
The demonstration in the Southern California city of Yorba Linda focused on a transgender athlete who entered the girls’ long jump, high jump and triple jump events. CFC said the athlete entered the meet with the top qualifying mark in all three events, intensifying criticism from opponents who argue CIF’s gender identity policy disadvantages female competitors and conflicts with federal Title IX protections for girls and women in athletics.
Speakers at the Orange County press conference Saturday included Sophia Lorey, a former CIF and collegiate athlete and outreach director for the California Family Council; Sonja Shaw, president of the Chino Valley Unified School District board and a Republican candidate for state superintendent of public instruction; and multiple female athletes who were competing in Saturday’s athletic events.
Republican gubernatorial candidate and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco had been scheduled to attend but was unable to appear because of a shooting incident in Riverside County, Lorey told The Center Square.
The controversy centers on CIF Bylaws, which state that students may participate in school athletics consistent with their gender identity. Opponents of the policy argue it conflicts with Title IX protections for female athletes.
During the press conference, Shaw criticized CIF leadership, calling Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom a “spineless coward.”
“Our daughters are paying the price. This is insane,” Shaw said. “Our girls are suffering. They’re unsafe every time they enter into a competition or any restroom.”
“They are losing the opportunities that they have worked for their entire young lives for,” Shaw added.
Lorey told The Center Square that the California Family Council is there to provide resources to student athletes who want to file lawsuits against school districts and CIF.
“The way that we win is through the courts,” Lorey said.
Lorey also said the organization wants CIF to remove transgender athletes’ names from records and rescind the awards and medals they have received.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton was also unable to attend, but Lorey read a statement on his behalf.
“As governor, I will demand the repeal of the provisions of AB [Assembly Bill] 1266 that allow biological males to compete in girls’ sports and enter girls’ locker rooms and spaces,” the statement said. “If the Legislature refuses to act, I will take legal action to defend the constitutional rights of California’s girls to fairness and safe schools.”
Gabrielle Antolovich, board president and CEO at the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center in San Jose, told The Center Square in a phone interview that transgender individuals are often targeted because they represent a very small percentage of athletes and are widely misunderstood.
Antolovich said there are currently about 10 transgender athletes competing in NCAA college sports.
“This is all part of the bigger picture,” Antolovich said. “I don’t believe there is enough research that shows that trans women have an advantage. They are such a tiny part of the population. Not all of them want to play sports, and not all of them are good at sports.”
Antolovich argued that criticism directed at transgender athletes could eventually expand beyond the transgender community.
“Trans women are only the beginning of the attack on all women,” Antolovich said.
“I think what is wrong in America is that it is so competitive to the point where we forget that being a human being is really collegial,” Antolovich added. “Wouldn’t it be lovely to play sports because you love it and not have to be the best of the best and win medals?”
The CIF Southern Section Division 3 preliminaries were held Saturday at Yorba Linda High School as athletes competed for advancement to next week’s sectional championships.
Another LGBTQ+ group was present at the event but declined to comment to The Center Square.
