California Girls' Sports Debate Intensifies After Protest, Track Title

Activists and athletes rally against transgender policies as state faces federal investigation over Title IX violations

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The ongoing debate over biological males competing in girls' sports in California has escalated, with a large-scale protest at a state high school sports meeting and controversy over a recent girls' track and field title. The state has become a national epicenter of the issue, facing a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice over its transgender eligibility policies. Dozens of female athletes and their families rallied outside a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) council meeting to protest the policies, while a transgender athlete from Jurupa Valley High School won first place in the girls' triple jump at a recent championship meet.

Why it matters

California's policies on transgender athletes in girls' sports have become a flashpoint in the national culture war, with the state facing a federal investigation over potential Title IX violations. The debate has deeply divided the state, pitting female athletes and their families against transgender advocates and some lawmakers.

The details

The protest outside the CIF council meeting in Long Beach featured 16 speakers, including high school athletes, family members, politicians, and activists, many of whom have gone viral for their emotional speeches. Meanwhile, a transgender athlete from Jurupa Valley High School won first place in the girls' triple jump at the recent VS California Winter Championships, sparking outrage from activists across the country.

  • The protest outside the CIF council meeting took place on Friday, February 10, 2026.
  • The VS California Winter Championships where the transgender athlete won the girls' triple jump took place on Saturday, February 11, 2026.

The players

Sophia Lorey

Outreach director for the California Family Council, who spoke about the rally being the largest yet held by the group.

Hadeel Hazameh

Former Jurupa Valley High School student athlete who spoke out against a transgender teammate on her track and field and volleyball teams.

Celeste Duyst

Arroyo Grande High School student athlete who recalled an alleged experience of a biological male transgender athlete watching her and other girls change in the locker room.

Kate Sanchez

California GOP state assemblywoman who spoke in support of the protesters.

Josh Lowenthal

California Democratic state assemblymember who mocked the protesters, claiming the Republicans in attendance "don't actually care about women."

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What they’re saying

“We all know they don't actually care about women.”

— Josh Lowenthal, California Democratic state assemblymember (Facebook)

“Martin Luther King did not march so these trans people, or whatever they are, can use our civil rights to push trans drugs on kids!”

— Tish Hyman, Singer and Los Angeles mayoral candidate (In-person speech at CIF council meeting)

“On May 4th, 2024, May 10th, 2025, May 17th, 2025, May 30th, 2025, and January 31st, 2026, I competed in meets where I lost to a male athlete competing in a girl's track and field. These are not isolated incidents, they are repeated moments where female athletes like were directly affected by policies that ignore reality”

— Reese Hogan, Crean Lutheran High School student (In-person speech at CIF council meeting)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the transgender athlete from Jurupa Valley High School to continue competing in girls' events.

The takeaway

The debate over transgender athletes in girls' sports in California has become increasingly polarized, with female athletes and their families protesting the policies while facing backlash from some lawmakers. The state's handling of the issue has drawn national attention and a federal investigation, underscoring the complex and contentious nature of this ongoing culture war.