A high school athlete was seen giving the thumbs down on the medal podium after losing a shot to a transgender athlete at the state championships.
Adeline Johnson was fourth in the 1600 meter, the North Coast Meet of Champions of California where Athena Ryan, a transgender woman, was second.
Branson High School’s Johnson is seen waving to people in the crowd before giving a thumbs-down at Saturday’s medal ceremony in Dublin, California.
Sonoma Academy’s Ryan will now join the first and third place finishers next week for the California Interscholastic Federation State Track & Field Championships.
At the athletics event, protesters were seen holding signs reading “Protect Women’s Sport” before being removed from the stadium after a clash with security forces.
Adeline Johnson, who placed fourth in a high school track and field competition, gave a thumbs-down after losing an opportunity to a trans athlete at state track and field championships
Johnson (left) placed fourth while Athena Ryan (right), a transgender woman, placed second at the North Coast Meet of Champions of California
The video showing Johnson giving the thumbs down was released by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports.
According to her Twitter bio, the group is a “network of female athletes and our supporters working to protect categories of women in sport.”
The video incorrectly referred to Ryan as a “trans identifying man,” but noted that Johnson gave her a thumbs-down response to her point of view.
ICONS wasn’t the only group keeping an eye on the California track and field meet over the weekend, as another group, calling themselves “Women Are Real” on social media, also turned up at the meet to voice their opposition bring.
The angry protesters held up a banner that read “Protect Female Sports” and video posted to the Women Are Real Twitter account showed an altercation with another woman who objected to the banner.
“That’s bloody disgusting,” the woman said. “I find that bloody insulting.”
Another video shows security forces removing the group from the premises.
“They throw us out because we care about women and girls,” says one protester.
The video, which shows Johnson’s apparent displeasure at her loss, was released by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and shared on social media
Ryan’s second place put Johnson out of contention for the women’s state title
“I was not expecting that. “I’ve fallen about 17 seconds off my season best in the last two weeks,” Ryan said in a post-race interview with MileSplit
Ryan spoke to MileSplit after the race and didn’t appear to mind the protests.
In her second victory in the 1-mile race, she finished the race with a time of 4:55.91.
“I was not expecting that. “I’ve fallen about 17 seconds off my season best in the last two weeks,” Ryan said in a post-race interview.
“After last weekend I didn’t think I could be under 5 seconds again. “I just got here trying to crack the 5 – I’m just glad I did it,” she continued.
Prior to her second-place qualifier for the state championships, she had finished sixth in the 1,600-meter heat.
The California Interscholastic Federation follows the “Gender Identity Participation” rules, first introduced in 2013.
“All students should have the opportunity to participate in CIF athletics sports and/or activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity,” the rules state.
“Athletes participate in programs that conform to their gender identity or the most commonly expressed gender,” the guide continues.
The rules also state that a student’s eligibility, once granted, does not have to be renewed every school year.
Protesters were present at the meeting and made banners to express their opposition to the admission of transgender people to women’s competitions
Clashes broke out between protesters and others, including security forces who removed protesters carrying a banner from the stadium
The transgender athlete’s win has since sparked outrage across the internet as the debate rages on about transgender athletes in girls’ sport.
In April, Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a ban on transgender women and girls from participating in women’s school athletic events.
None of the Democrats voted like their Conservative counterparts for the bill, which will not be discussed in the Senate.
Republicans say the issue is about protecting women’s rights, while Democrats say it opens a new salvo to target trans children who are already being bullied in schools.
“Anyone who claims to be a feminist or believes in the basics of feminism should probably stand with us,” R-Texas Rep. Beth Van Duyne said in a news conference at the time.
Those across the aisle vehemently disagreed with Republican sentiment.
“These kids are kids and they should be able to play with their friends.” “This is not about protecting women and girls, this is about attacking trans children,” said Wisconsin Democratic Representative Mark Pocan.