A quiet yet bold protest by a high school athlete in California has reignited one of the most contentious legal and ethical debates in American sports—should transgender women be allowed to compete in female athletic divisions?
At the heart of the firestorm is Reese Hogan, a high schooler from Crean Lutheran, who recently stunned the crowd at the CIF Southern Section Finals. Despite placing second in the triple jump, Hogan returned to the first-place podium, making a silent but powerful statement against the official outcome.
The reason? Hogan lost to AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete who was assigned male at birth but now competes as female.
A Stand That Spoke Volumes
The moment was captured on video and quickly went viral, with some applauding Hogan’s bravery, and others calling it discriminatory. Regardless of where you stand, the protest reflects a growing division across schools, families, and political lines.
Hernandez’s winning jump—41 feet, 4 inches—was more than four feet ahead of Hogan’s performance. Hernandez also won the long jump and qualified for the CIF Masters Meet.
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“The Weakest Men Compete with Girls”
Across social media, the reactions were electric. From conservative voices to sports advocates, the scene became a symbol for those claiming women’s sports are under siege.
Some posters claimed, “Second place is the true winner,” while others called for a separate transgender category to ensure fairness.
Hernandez, however, pushed back against the backlash, stating, “I’m still a child, and you’re an adult. For you to act like a child shows who you are as a person.”
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Legal and Political Firestorm
The incident follows former President Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning transgender women from competing in female divisions, promising that his administration would defend women’s sports at the 2028 LA Olympic Games.
States like North Carolina and Texas have passed legislation to enforce gender-specific participation, citing safety concerns, especially after a 2022 volleyball injury left teen athlete Payton McNabb with a traumatic brain injury following a spike from a transgender opponent.
Her mother later told reporters, “We weren’t allowed to say no. We couldn’t say, ‘She’s playing against a boy, it’s dangerous.’”
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Trans Inclusion Advocates Push Back
Not everyone agrees with banning transgender athletes. In fact, over 400 Olympians signed a letter urging that sports remain inclusive and warning against discrimination.
Supporters argue that Hernandez and other transgender athletes follow all the rules. The problem, they claim, lies not with the athletes, but with outdated regulations that fail to reflect modern gender science.
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What the Research Says
According to Capital & Main, a nonprofit news outlet covering major social issues, research does not clearly support claims that transgender women dominate cisgender athletes. In some metrics, trans women have been shown to underperform relative to their cisgender peers due to hormonal treatment effects and regulatory restrictions.
This challenges the narrative that trans athletes have an unfair biological edge.
A Scholarship or a Lawsuit?
As more schools and athletes find themselves caught in the middle of legal gray areas, student scholarships, reputations, and future careers hang in the balance. Could Hogan’s protest one day fuel a legal challenge or even a landmark lawsuit?
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Final Thoughts
Reese Hogan’s decision to silently claim the first-place podium spot—even in second place—was not just a personal gesture. It became a national conversation starter.
And as the fight for fairness, inclusion, and legal clarity continues, one thing is clear: the podium is no longer just a symbol of athletic achievement—it’s now a battleground for one of the most important civil rights debates of our time.
Do you believe transgender athletes should compete in female divisions? Join the conversation and share your thoughts respectfully—because this debate isn’t ending anytime soon.