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Clovis, California, will be the epicenter of the political battle over women's sports trans athletes this weekend.
The town is scheduled to host state athletics championships. This has entered the national spotlight as trans athletes compete in the women's category after President Donald Trump summoned the true social situation this week.
Diane Pierce, the town's mayoral protem, told Fox News Digital that he was actively lobbying Trump to make the situation aware of the weeks, causing local officials to get involved.
“I've been in touch with the White House Legislative Bureau to see what we need from this community, what we need from the Clovis area, and show our support for California's Title IX and the Trump administration's efforts to ensure he (“protects men from women's sports”),” Pierce said.
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Pierce said her path to getting the White House involved is to “amplify the voices” of town residents who only support female athletes competing in girls' sports.
Pierce succeeded in that goal. The goal culminated in a press conference in which he supports Trump's executive order and speaks against Democrats to support Trump's executive order and to enable trans athletes to play in California's women's sports ahead of the championship tournament.
Pierce says the Trump post is a driving force behind enthusiasm for the cause.
The press conference supports Gary Bledefeld in supporting the board of directors of Clovis' Unified School District Committee Tiffany Stalker Madsen, state legislators Tiffany Stalker Madsen, who represent the district based by Clovis, and supervisors Gary Bledefeld and Natan Maxon, who represent the district based by Clovis.
“We must support what is true and fair, especially in areas where biological differences make a difference,” Stalker Madsen said. “What's happening in women's sports is wrong. These female athletes deserve an equal arena. I urge Governor Newsom and the California Legislature to protect California women.”
Other residents and local officials, including Mayor Von Mouanutoua, stood behind the speaker in solidarity in Trump's stance.
Mouanoutoua and Pearce are both Republicans, but Clovis as a town remains less than the rest of the deep blue state, but remains on the left in recent years. The town's Fresno County voted in favor of Trump in the 2024 election, with a margin of 50.9% to 46.5%. However, the county voted for Democrats in all previous presidential elections dating back to 2008.
It appears that the trans-athlete issue is now pushing the town further down to the corner of Trump. And residents will be looking at the impact of the issue at this weekend's title tournament.
The state title tournament will be held at Buchanan High School's Veterans Memorial Stadium, with a preliminary round on Friday and a Saturday final. The event is expected to feature protesters and security.
California High School Girls Athletes wear a “protect Girls Sports” shirt at the postseason track meet held at Yoruba Linda High School on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Personal courtesy of Reese Hogan)
In Trump's Truth Social Post Tuesday, he argued that “we are ordering local governments to not allow people who have been transitioned to compete in the state finals if necessary.”
Pierce said he had no knowledge that this was being passed on to town police.
“As far as I know, it's not happening,” she said.
A spokesman for the Clovis Unified Police Department told Fox News Digital he also didn't know about communication with Trump, which involves the event's security procedures. Still, Pierce is hoping for the presence of vigilante police at the event.
“They are ready to make sure this weekend's state championship is a safe environment for athletes, their families and those who choose to come out and support this weekend,” Pierce said.
Once the competition begins, all eyes will be trans athlete Ab Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School. Hernandez dominated the women's long and triple jumps this postseason, finishing first in both the southern final on May 17th and the state qualifiers on May 24th.
Teenage Girl Opens to Athlete Trans Athlete Scandal that Turned High School into a Culture War Battlefield
Hernandez has won scrutiny during the athlete's dominant postseason run, and is often plagued by spectators at the competition. Pierce hopes the audience will treat Hernandez with respect during the Friday and Saturday event.
“I expect people to treat this athlete with compassion. Unfortunately, the failure of the adults who set this policy created this situation. They allowed this particular athlete to be in the position surrounding him wherever he goes.
“I don't think anyone should do anything to put him in danger while he's here in Clovis, but once again it's unfair that he's in the girl's department.”
Pierce said her “worst scenario” for the competition this weekend would be a lack of respect and security for the competitors involved.
“If there's something that doesn't respect and challenges the safety and security of the environment and atmosphere, that would be awful,” Pierce said. “These kids are better than that. They have already failed adults at the legislative level and the CIF has failed at the policy level. I hope that those attendees don't fail as well.”
What Pierce wants to see is the victory of female athletes at each event. However, she is also preparing for more potential fallout from the tournament after helping to summon Trump's attention to the situation.
The insistence on enforcing Trump's executive order led to a months-long feud between his administration and Democrat-controlled Maine. The feud led to a freeze on multiple funding that has already been reversed, and filed a lawsuit against the state by the U.S. Department of Justice.
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With the Justice Department opening an investigation into California after Trump's post this week, Pierce knows her state could be next in line to raise funds for the issue. Furthermore, as a civil servant, she knows it could affect her and her colleagues, but Pierce is totally supportive of her funding cuts to the state over issues anyway. For her, it's not a difficult decision to support.
“What's more important to me is that our girls and their spaces are respected and protected,” Pierce said. “If they have to threaten that type of lawsuit against the CIF, Governor Newsom, the state legislature to withdraw federal funds from the state, once again, the decision is on those leaders. They can do the right thing and we don't even have to talk about this.”
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