Discussion from the calls last week to keep a transgender athlete from competing against girls in the CIF Track and Field State Championships in Clovis spilled over to the Clovis City Council on Monday.
Clovis City Councilmember Lynne Ashbeck took issue during the council meeting with how fellow Councilmember Diane Pearce opposed biological male AB Hernandez from competing against girls over the weekend, leading Ashbeck to leave the dais, saying she was disrespected by Pearce.
The backstory: Pearce, the current Mayor Pro Tem for Clovis, led local leaders in a press conference last week to call on the CIF to keep Hernandez out of the girls competition.
- That was fresh off a call from President Donald Trump urging local leaders to protect girls sports.
- Hernandez was allowed to compete in the championships and won two titles against girls in high jump and triple jump.
- Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua and Councilmember Drew Bessinger appeared alongside Pearce at last week’s press conference.
The big picture: Some members of the public spoke during the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting to speak against Pearce for leading the charge to keep Hernandez from competing against girls.
- After working through the agenda and getting to the council comments portion of the meeting, Ashbeck used her time to read a prepared statement chastising Pearce for her actions last week, including using the City of Clovis logo in her press release announcing the press conference.
What she said: Ashbeck said she had dozens of Clovis residents reach out to her in dismay about the issue last week and went on to say that no serious issue has ever been solved through social media or a press conference.
- She added that she thanked Sen. Shannon Grove (R–Bakersfield) and Asm. David Tangipa (R–Clovis) for their “measured, thoughtful remarks.” She emphasized that it is their role to address the issue of transgender athletes in high school sports since they can deal directly with the CIF as legislators.
- “As a place that cares about kids, one community leader pointed out to me that while it is one thing to pick a fight with an adult, it is quite another to take on a minor by name,” Ashbeck said. “That is what is unfair, and that is exactly what we did in this community.”
- Ashbeck said there was a rush to dominate social media and advance political ambitions. She also said there is a cost to the city’s reputation and brand.
- “Last week’s chaos was damaging to who we are, or who we used to be, anyway, as the premier community in the Central Valley,” Ashbeck said. “It likely left a pretty unfavorable impression on the visitors to our community with 1,500-plus athletes and coaches who made the decision to come to Clovis for this event. It didn’t attract one new business, fix one pothole or hire one new police officer.”
Pearce’s response: Following Ashbeck’s comments, Pearce said she did not have anything prepared and made a comment that Ashbeck immediately found disrespectful.
- “I didn’t expect what went down this evening, and I certainly didn’t expat that – well to be fair I did expect that in the previous comments,” Pearce said.
- “Diane,” Ashbeck interjected. “That is disrespectful.” She went on to say, “Don’t do that. We are better than that.” Pearce then asked, “Do you mean don’t correct myself?” Ashbeck responded, “Do not be disrespectful.”
- “I did not intend to be disrespectful,” Pearce said. “I was just correcting myself. I knew you would have a problem with that, and I was starting to say I didn’t expect it. But that’s not correct.”
- Ashbeck then left her seat on the dais for about 20 seconds in response to Pearce.
- Pearce continued her comments, saying people keep trying to tell her to stay in her lane, but that is exactly where she is with the issue.
- Pearce said she had many parents and teachers from Clovis Unified reach out to her, as well as city staff, thanking her for being their voice.
- “We have teachers, we have parents, we have plenty of community members who for one reason or another don’t feel they can speak out how these things are impacting them,” Pearce said. “Well, I stepped up to the plate to be an elected official, to be a representative of the people, and that is what I am doing.”
- “I won’t apologize for calling out the failure of policymakers and legislators to protect the integrity of girls’ sports,” Pearce said in a statement to The Sun. “I won’t back down from advocating for this community and the parents and families who feel they don’t have the freedom to speak out for themselves.”
