Julie Hamill on AB Hernandez, Trans Athletes and Federal Funding

To comply with federal law to accept federal funds.

What would make this fair for, uh, for her to compete for those who are competing against her?

What, what would that kind of structure, uh, i- in competition look like?

Who is her? AB, AB. Okay. AB Hernandez is a male who identifies as a female.

Um, what would be fair is to have Hernandez competing in the male category. It is not fair to the females competing to have to compete with a male.

Okay. So a- and Trump's federal funding threat, i- is that something though that would hurt all student athletes, including athletes who are, uh, assigned female at birth?

It... Would his federal funding threat hurt athletes?

If the money is taken away.

Right. Um, so the law actually says that schools that do not abide Title IX or other federal laws cannot receive federal funds. Um, so that's not Trump's fault.

The problem is that the state- Well, but, but- ... with AB 1266 and SB- ... you understand, Julie, there's a...

You understand there's- ... there's two view, two views here on Title IX.

... there's two view, two views here on Title IX.

So just to be clear, not everyone agrees with you on how you're viewing it.

So in that regard, if you were to take away the funding on, uh, as it, as it pertains to trans athletes, not everyone agrees with you. I think we just have to be clear about that.

Um, if you are taking away the funds for athletes, student athletes in California, isn't that going to hurt all of them?

Taking away federal funds is going to hurt all California kids, which is why the state of California needs to comply with federal law.

It's very simple. So when you dig into the science on trans athletes, what is really clear is that there needs to be a lot more research on a lot more trans athletes to be able to draw better conclusions about the effect of whether gender-affirming care actually reduces or eliminates the

advantage conferred on an athlete who is genetically male.

Would you welcome more research? Is this a situation where more research might help?

I absolutely think that more research and more careful and thoughtful discussion is necessary here. Pediatric sex change procedures are very harmful, and they cause lifelong damage to children. And this is something that the United States of America needs to examine thoughtfully, and people need to be able to

discuss openly without being called bigots and transphobes.

Yep, totally hear you. Um, so it, it... There are obviously clear benefits to playing sports, to competing in sports. So when you're looking at an athlete like AB Hernandez, what would you have her do so that she can benefit from sporting?

I, I view AB Hernandez as the victim in this situation. I feel, I feel for him, and I feel that he has been lied to for his entire life.

And it's probably very destabilizing and difficult for him right now to realize that what he's been told is not actually reality. He cannot become a girl. Um, what he can do is compete in the male category- Ju- can we stick to sport? Okay ... or if CIF- Let's stick to sports. So you say compete in the male category- Mm-hmm ... or what?

Or if, if the state and CIF wanna create a, a separate category for people like AB Hernandez, and that's something that they want to do, fine. It is not fair to female athletes who have worked their entire lives for this kind of competition, who also, by the way, cannot speak out

for fear of retaliation, which AB Hernandez's mother has personally threatened against them. So it's very unfair for our girls and women in California to have to compete with males, have to share facilities with males, and then not be able to speak up about the unfairness because people are going to label them as bigots.

Uh, Julie Hamill, thank you so much for being with us.

We appreciate it.