NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Clovis, California, will be episent in the political struggle for trans athletes in girls’ sports this weekend.
The city is set to host state course and field championships, which have been thrown into the national limelight in the middle of a trans -athlete competing in girls’ category after President Donald Trump called the situation of truth social this week.
Dianne Pearce, the city’s mayor Pro Tem, told Pakinomist Digital that she has been an active lobbying business to make Trump aware of the situation for weeks and got her colleagues in local officials involved.
“I have been in contact with the White House Legislative Affairs Office to see what would be necessary from this community, from the Clovis area to show our support to the Trump Administration’s efforts to get California to comply with section IX and his [“Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports”] Executive Order, “Pearce said.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover at Foxnews.com
Pearce said her path to getting the White House involved was to “reinforce the voices” for the city’s residents who only support female athletes competing in girls’ sports.
Pearce succeeded with this goal, culminating with a press conference involving state and local leaders who spoke out in support of Trump’s executive order and against Democrats to enable Trans athletes to play in California’s girls’ sports prior to the championship.
Pearce says Trump’s post was a driving factor in driving enthusiasm for the cause.
The press conference contained statements from Pearce, Clovis Unified School District Board Trustee Tiffany Stoker Madsen, State Assembly David Tangipa, representing the district where Clovis is based, US House Rep. Vince Fong, which also represents the district where Clovis is based and Fresno County Supervisors Gary Bredefeld and Nathan Maxson, all in the support of Trump’s Agenda on the Issue.
“We have to stand for what is true and what is fair, especially in areas where biological differences make a difference,” said Stoker Madsen. “What happens in women’s sports is wrong. These female athletes deserve equal terms … I urge Governor Newsom and our California’s state legislation to protect women in California.”
Other residents and local officials, including Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua, were behind the speakers in solidarity with the Pro-Trump position.
While Mouanoutoua and Pearce are both Republicans, Clovis, as a city, has leaned to the left in recent years, albeit less back than other parts of the deep blue state. The County County Fresno voted for Trump in the 2024 election by a margin of 50.9% to 46.5%. However, the county voted the Democrat in every previous presidential election dating from 2008.
Now the question of trans athletes seems to be potentially pushing the city or at least its leadership even further into Trump’s corner. And the residents get a close look at the effect of the problem on this weekend’s title meeting.
The State Title Meeting takes place at Buchanan High School’s Veteran’s Memorial Stadium with the preliminary round on Friday and the final on Saturday. The event is expected to include protesters and security.
California High School Girls’ Athletes Wear “Protect Girls Sports” jerseys on a track after the season meet at Yorba Linda High School on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Courtesy of Reese Hogan)
In Trump’s Tuesday Truth Social Post, he claimed he would “order local authorities if necessary so as not to allow the transition person to compete in the state final.”
Pearce said she has no knowledge that this was communicated to the city’s police force.
“As far as I know it’s not happened,” she said.
A Unified Police Department spokesman for Clovis told Pakinomist Digital that they are also not aware of any communication with Trump involving security procedures for the event. Still, Pearce expects a vigilant presence at the event.
“They are ready to make sure that this weekend’s state championships are a safe environment for our athletes and their families and those who choose to come out and support them this weekend,” Pearce said.
When the competition begins, all eyes will be on the trans -athlete, AB Hernandez from the Jurupa Valley High School. Hernandez has dominated in girls’ long jumps and triple jump this postal season, taking first place in both events in the southern section final on May 17 and the state qualifications on May 24.
Teenager girls open up on trans-athlete scandal that made their high school a cultural war battlefield
Hernandez has gained control during the athlete’s dominant autumn period, and is often hecked by spectators at the meetings. Pearce hopes spectators treat Hernandez with respect during the events Friday and Saturday.
“I expect people to treat this athlete with compassion. Unfortunately, I think the mistakes of the adults who put this policy created this situation. They have allowed this special athlete to be in a position where controversy surrounds him, no matter where he goes and I think it’s unfortunate,” Pearce said.
“I don’t think anyone should do anything to make him unsafe while he is here in Clovis competing, but again it is unfair for him to be in the girls’ division.”
Pearce said her “worst-case scenario” for this weekend’s meeting would be a lack of respect and security for any of the competitors involved.
“If there is something that is not respectful and challenges the safety and safety of the environment and the atmosphere, it would be terrible,” Pearce said. “These children deserve better than that. They have been unsuccessful by the adults who are already at the legislative level and the political level of CIF, I hope these companions do not fail them too.”
What Pearce hopes to see are the female athletes victorious in their respective events. However, she is also prepared for more potential falling from the meeting after helping to call Trump’s attention to the situation.
Trump’s insistence on enforcing his executive order has already resulted in a month long feud between his administration and the democratic controlled Maine. The feud has resulted in several financing freezer that has already been reversed and a lawsuit against the state of the US Ministry of Justice.
With the Ministry of Justice, which launched an investigation against California this week after Trump’s post, Pearce knows that her state could very well be the next in line with cuts to the cut on the issue. As a public employee, she also knows that it could affect her and her colleagues, but Pearce would still support all financing cuts to her state during the question. For her it is not a tough decision to support.
“It’s not a tough decision to get to me, to me is more important to me, that our girls and their space are respected and protected,” Pearce said. “If they have to threaten this type of action against CIF, Governor Newsom and State Laws, that they would withdraw federal funding from the state, the decision rests for these leaders. They can do the right thing and we don’t even have to talk about this.”
