Trans athlete AB Hernandez said its weird people protested high school track events: I did what I wanted to do
California transgender athlete AB Hernandez believes it’s “weird” that people were so outraged by her competing against biological females that they protested multiple high school track events.The teen, who was born a biological male, is on the track and field team at Jurupa Valley High School in Southern California, which dominated the California high school track-and-field championship on May 31.The high school junior faced scrutiny at events over the last few months, with many actively protesting at her at meets and online since Hernandez was participating against biological females.“It’s definitely crazy, I get a lot of hate comments, but I’m like, ‘I don’t care’,” Hernandez told KCRA.“[I’m a] 16-year-old girl with a mad attitude.You think I’m going to care?”The student-athlete also found people who were continually protesting the high school events to be a bizarre sight.“It’s just weird at this point,” Hernandez said.While dozens of demonstrators were outside the stadium gates to protest, Hernandez said people were more supportive inside.“I wasn’t expecting any of it to be honest.
I was just expecting to go out there and compete alone, but the support was amazing,” she said.“They really made my experience perfect.I will forever be grateful for them because they helped me get through the weekend.”Hernandez tied in the varsity high jump final against two biological females, Jillene Wetteland and Lelanie Laruelle and shared the podium with them due to a newly passed California policy.The student-athlete also took home gold for the triple jump, finishing with a final jump of 42 feet and 2 inches, and had to share the podium with Kira Grant Hatcher, who jumped 40 feet 5 inches.“I did what I wanted to do,” Hernandez said.
“My performance was all I wanted to be good.So all this backlash… I performed my best, so that’s all I cared about.”The California Interscholastic Federation changed its rules before the e...