Trans athlete attention builds in Clovis at CA track finals. Local leaders have say

Local conservative leaders say it’s unfair that some cisgender girls will compete alongside a transgender female at the upcoming state track and field championships in Clovis.

“We should be focused on celebrating their hard work and accomplishments. But because the CIF, Gov. (Gavin) Newsom, and the state Legislature have failed our female athletes, there is a distraction that hangs like a cloud over this weekend’s events,” Clovis Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce said.

Pearce and other conservative leaders gathered Thursday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis — the longstanding venue for the state championships — days after President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funds from California for allowing transgender females to compete in school sports.

The California Interscholastic Federation, the state’s governing body for school sports, twice revised its policies this week in an apparent response to the issue. On Tuesday, the federation introduced a “pilot access program”allowing cisgender athletes who failed to qualify at preliminaries to advance to the championships.

The following day, the CIF announced changes specifically pertaining to the high jump, triple jump and long jump events. Under these changes, cisgender athletes who “would have” qualified for finals or a specific podium spot will be recognized and allowed to participate accordingly.

Pearce said those rule changes don’t address the root concerns.

”If we don’t remove the biological boys, we’re not truly giving an equal playing field to the biological girls,” Pearce said.

State Rep. David Tangipa (R-Fresno) said the CIF’s changes are “an open admission that something wrong is going on.”

Tiffany Stoker Madsen, a Clovis Unified School District trustee, said the situation is about “protecting the integrity of female sports.”

“I believe every child, regardless of their background, their identity, or their journey in life, deserves our respect, our compassion, and an opportunity to thrive,” she said. “However, at the same time, we must stand for what is true and what is fair, especially in areas where biological differences make a difference, such as in sports.”

Jorge Reyes Salinas, communications director for Equality California, a statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, supports the CIF’s rule changes.

“We look forward to working with CIF in their ongoing process of determining how to include transgender athletes and all athletes fairly,” he said. “We want transgender students and young people as a whole to be able to participate in sports. That’s really the main thing here.”

This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 5:13 PM.