The Trans Athlete Podium Photo That’s Infuriating Parents

California girls were forced to share the podium with a trans-identifying boy yet again at the 106th CIF State Track & Field Championships in Clovis over the weekend.

Controversial athlete AB Hernandez, born male, once again took home the hardware in the girls’ triple jump and girls’ high jump categories on Saturday, forcing the female athletes to share their spotlight.

The California Interscholastic Federation, known as CIF, also awards podium recognition to every girl who finished directly behind Hernandez, since California hasn’t kept men out of women’s sports.

The CIF’s policy left one side of the awards podium complete empty since the female athletes — who should have finished one spot higher if men weren’t allowed to compete — were all bumped up to their rightful spots during the ceremony.

The images of the empty fifth, seventh, and ninth place spots fueled the backlash from sports activists who in recent years have fought blue states on their trans policies for sports.

Jennifer Sey, founder of XX-XY Athletics, called out Hernandez’s victory over the weekend, showing support for Lelani Laruelle who came in second place in the high jump, but per California policy, was credited with the shared first-place spot.

“His feelings matter more than her abilities, her wins, her rights,” Sey wrote on X.

Ahead of the championship meet, Hernandez appeared in a video with Democrat California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer Friday morning before the preliminary round.

“I’m so proud of you for what you’re doing,” Steyer said in the video. “So proud of you for succeeding. So proud of you for competing.”

Hernandez’s mom appeared in the political video just weeks after she told the Los Angeles Times “we knew we had to get ready” for criticism from groups that are trying to save women’s sports.

“I told AB, this is a election year,” Nereyda told the Times. “They’re gonna hit us hard, because they’re using us for their campaigns.”

In Hernandez’s appearance with Steyer in the campaign video, he complained that supporters of women’s sports knew what high school he attended. The name of the school is on his track uniform.

The temperature around Hernandez’s final high school meet was raised Saturday when two local California LGBTQ advocacy groups, Pride at the Pier and Rainbow Families Action, held a press conference outside of the venue to support Hernandez. Police were called to the scene as the supporters of Hernandez engaged in a “war of words” with activists from “Save Girls Sports,” according to Fox News.

The spotlight has been on the teenager for the last several years as he’s continued to dominate the women’s sport in the Golden State.

Though Hernandez’s high school career is over, the fight to keep men out of women’s sports continues with the help of the federal government. The Department of Justice sued the state of California last year over its trans athlete policies, with Hernandez’s district, Jurupa Unified, specifically being named in the Title IX lawsuit.