Protesters in Costa Mesa ask CIF to ban transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports

About three dozen people rallied outside the California Interscholastic Federation executive meeting in Costa Mesa on Friday before asking the CIF board to ban transgender females from competing in girls’ sports.

Sophia Lorey, from a Christian advocacy group that organized the rally, also delivered to the board a petition she said was signed by nearly 20,000 Californians in support of repealing a bylaw that allows students the opportunity to participate in CIF activities in a manner consistent with their gender identity.

“We are here today to stand for truth, to speak for fairness and to fight for every girl who has ever stepped on a field, track or court with one goal in mind — a fair shot to compete,” Lorey said.

There was nothing scheduled on Friday’s CIF executive board agenda to discuss the bylaw.

The protesters, including Santa Ana Unified Trustee Brenda Lebsack, Placentia-Yorba Linda Trustee Leandra Blades and Chino Valley Unified board President Sonja Chaw, delivered their concerns to the CIF board during an open public comment period.

Lebsack’s Santa Ana board colleagues previously said her views were “not a reflection” of the district and the PYLUSD board majority voted down a resolution supporting policies to restrict women’s sports to biological female athletes. The Chino Valley school board adopted a resolution along those lines.

Female high school athletes and their parents also raised concerns about fair competition and sharing locker rooms with transgender classmates.

CIF spokesperson Rebecca Brutlag, present at the meeting, would not comment on the protesters’ remarks, but she issued a statement to the media to say the sports body is compliant with California law:

“The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which permits students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records.”

The already highly politicized issue came into the spotlight earlier in June as a trans athlete, AB Hernandez from Jurupa Valley High, prepared to compete at the CIF state track championships.

Days before the event, President Donald Trump threatened to cut federal funding to the state if Hernandez competed.

After his remarks, CIF officials announced changes to the meet’s rules to allow for an additional cisgender female competitor in the three events with Hernandez, the only trans athlete participating.

CIF officials also said that, should Hernadez win, the second-place finisher in that event would share the top spot on the podium.

Hernandez ultimately shared first place in the triple jump and the high jump and shared second in the long jump.