Lia Thomas Saga: With NCAA Championships Now Here, Betrayal of Female Athletes Continues
(Updated)
Must give credit to the Ivy League. Same for the NCAA. They didn’t hide their positions. From the early days of the Lia Thomas debate, the conference and college-sports governing body made it clear they would wholly support one swimmer over hundreds of athletes. They made it clear that Thomas was a priority. They made it clear that their female athletes – specifically swimmers – were inconsequential.
The University of Pennsylvania operated in similar fashion. It has favored one individual over the team. It has simultaneously ignored and tried to silence its students. It has sent a message that women’s sports are unimportant.
Today, the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships begin in Atlanta. Thomas will not be in action on this first day of competition, where only the 200-yard medley relay and 800 freestyle relay are contested. Penn didn’t qualify to race any relays at NCAAs, so Thomas will make her debut on Thursday, during the prelims of the 500 freestyle. She is the top seed, the reigning Ivy League champion and in a competitive realm far from what she knew a few years ago, when qualifying for the NCAA Men’s Championships was – based on her skill level – far from an attainable goal.
Thomas, of course, is the transgender female who formerly competed as a three-year member of the Penn’s men’s squad. After transitioning and undergoing hormone-suppressant therapy, she joined the women’s squad at the Philadelphia school, having met antiquated NCAA guidelines that only required one year of testosterone suppression.
Debate over Thomas’ participation in women’s competition has been hot since early December, when she posted nation-leading times in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle. Her story was highlighted, and multiple questions arose. How is it fair for a swimmer who underwent male puberty to race against biological females? Shouldn’t Thomas be given an opportunity to race? Obviously, there were differing opinions on the topic.
Photo Courtesy:
With the NCAA Championships now here, Thomas will be in position to excel on the national stage, while racing against biological women without similar advantages. For those women, the NCAA set up a trap door. The Ivy League and Penn, too, opted for abandonment. Maybe it was the fear of a lawsuit. Maybe it was misogyny. Regardless, by supporting Thomas, biological women were belittled.
When approached for comment in the leadup to the NCAA Championships, the governing body declined to weigh in on the Thomas situation. The Ivy League, however, went another route during the season – and there was no interpretation needed when it came to the conference’s feelings toward its female athletes.
“The Ivy League reaffirms its unwavering commitment to providing an inclusive environment for all student-athletes while condemning transphobia and discrimination in any form,” said an Ivy League statement release in January. “The league welcomes (Thomas’) participation in the sport of women’s swimming and diving and looks forward to celebrating the success of all of our student-athletes throughout the season.”
Let’s analyze this statement from the Ivy League. If the Ivy League was dedicated to an inclusive environment, it would recognize the concerns of athletes and parents concerned about Thomas’ presence in a women’s sport. It would look at the science and data available and see that Thomas, fueled by male-puberty, has an unfair edge over the opposition. Instead, conference leaders have turned their backs on women, forcing them to compete on an uneven playing field. Remember, Thomas was ranked in the mid-500s in the nation in the 200 freestyle when racing for the Penn men’s team. She is now No. 1. Again: 500s to first.
In the 500 freestyle at the Ivy Leagues, Thomas’ teammate Catherine Buroker was the runnerup, finishing more than seven seconds back. I don’t know Buroker’s stance on Thomas racing in women’s competition. Perhaps she is supportive. Regardless of her position, Buroker should be the Ivy League champion in the 500 freestyle, as Thomas should not have been in the field.
Then there’s the Ivy League’s condemnation of transphobia and discrimination. Yes, such acts should be denounced, but the Lia Thomas situation is not about transphobia. It is a pathetic and misguided state that any argument against Thomas’ participation is immediately deemed to be an indication of transphobia. No, the arguments against Thomas are about fairness, and for the Ivy League to play the transphobia card is arrogant, ignorant, and insulting. Really, it is a sign of the conference taking a bully approach and using such a strong term to intimidate and deter those willing to speak out.
The way Penn has tried to spin the situation has been equally embarrassing. At the same time the Ivy League released its statement, Penn declared that it was fully supportive of “all the student-athletes and coaches in our swimming and diving program.” Really? That is an interesting commentary considering Penn has warned athletes to not speak out and has not made swimmers available for comment during the season.
Support for all? Ha! What a joke.
There is a strong chance Thomas will win an NCAA title this week. Swimming World has called for an asterisk to denote the performances of Thomas in Atlanta. What will the NCAA say about her finishes, including potential victories? Probably nothing in an official statement. But enough has already been said by the organization through its actions (or inactions). The translation: It is not interested in level competition, the protection of women’s sports or the athletes racing against an opponent who, via male puberty, has multiple physiological advantages. The Ivy League and University of Pennsylvania have tried to emphasize inclusion when asked about Thomas’ participation in a women’s sport. That end could have been achieved by providing Thomas with time-trial or exhibition opportunities – and done in a notable spotlight.
Instead, she will race under a dark cloud, and the absurd belief she does not hold an edge over the opposition.
The NCAA Champs – in part – will be marred by a setup that is a charade. The NCAA will not recognize the damage done to the women’s sports scene, which is already routinely forced to battle for crumbs in the sporting world.
It’s simply not a concern.
How sad.
Thank you so much for your open support John. These female swimmers can’t speak for themselves at this time because of the overwhelming misogyny and mob mentality surrounding this. They need people like you to have their backs.
This is disgusting what the other female swimmers have to go through. I suspect Lia Thomas knew she couldn’t become a top seed competing as a male and the only way she could become a top seed would be if she transgendered. I am a lesbian and have been athletic and active most of my life but what Lia Thomas is doing is cheating and hiding behind the LGBT label. It a sham how the LGBT label is being exploited for personal gain and to hurt female athletes, who train honestly without medical or drug enhancement to an unfair advantage. Penn State and the Ivy Leagues should stop exploiting the LGBT label NOW because it will only create divisions and revive prejudices that took a half century to overcome.
We have to remember that we’re talking about Penn State, the same one with a disgusting history with covering up sexual abuse of young boys and silencing their victims. That same Penn State wants to silence female swimmers. How many other scandals is Penn State covering up?
I agree completely Elizabeth, but just a correction, it’s the University of Pennsylvania, not Penn State.
AMEN SISTER
Penn State and Penn are not the same schools. 1 is Ivy League and 1 is Big Ten. Even my Dachshund knows the difference.
Nice article and valid opinion voiced by one for many supporters. Why doesn’t this athlete step aside and be happy/ content with her winnings so far? If she continues to swim at the Championships prior to the NCAA’s, she’s being selfish. She’s not swimming for her her team, she’s swimming for a misguided belief that it’s for equality and inclusion of the transgender.
How about the other female athletes take their own stand for equality while standing tall on the blocks at each race and NOT adhere to the starting pistol, while leaving only one swimmer in the pool. That surely would make a statement at such a prestigious event. Give it a try ladies….. you are guaranteed a wealth of self pride if you take this course of action.
This is NOT Penn State. It is University of Pennsylvania.
How could you not know that we’re talking about University of Pennsylvania and not Penn State?! Lol
Also, this is about meaningful competition and fairness, and Lia does provide meaningful competition and it is just as fair as any other advantage that athletes foster all the time (eg have you noticed that basketball players over 6 foot have an advantage making the team over shorter ones?). Have you noticed that the Penn students are in the top 1% of wealthiest people on earth? Do you think that wealth is not a differentiating advantage that Impacts one’s athletic opportunities? If it unfair for Lia to compete, then it is also unfair for the top 1%ers to compete.
Thank you for sticking up for the women who have been silenced on this issue. Not to mention that Lia still has male genitalia, likes women and changes in the women’s locker room. No woman should have to deal with that. Normal citizens would be arrested for indecent exposure.
Just for the record it’s not Penn State, they are in the Big 10, Penn is in the Ivy League. And I wholeheartedly agree with you.
Penn is not Penn State
This is real simple. Why do we have male sports and female sports? Answer: Because physical characteristics of the sexes are different and need to be divided in order to have an even playing field. Simply look at all the track and field records for the history of time. Biological males have more testosterone than females. Males are on average faster and stronger than females. This CAN’T be debated. Call yourself whatever you want. Your DNA CAN’T be debated.
Excellent article, thank you!
This is the University of Pennsylvania and not Penn State!! Maybe can you remove that part off your comment? Penn State has a great swimming and diving program that is NOT a part of this. Thanks.
Please remove the comment about Penn State since you are speaking about the wrong University. Let’s not spread that. Penn State has a fair program that has nothing to do with this and had nothing to do with the other incident.
I am not from Pennsylvania and don’t know the state university system, University of Pennsylvania or Penn State, but silencing athletes is wrong and stinks of a scandal, regardless of the institution. Enough with the backblow because my previous comment is focused on an athlete who was chosen to gain a grossly unfair advantage by exploiting LGBT to for privilege. Lia is no different than Rachel Dolezal, a Caucasian who pretended to be a minority, to advance herself for personal gain
Every team should boycott. This an absolute shame. What next, a male tenadgeber basketball super star play on the women’s team. Welcome to the USA of China.
As a lesbian I too am offended by Lia. I am not here to argue university name but unfairness and misogyny that this university is doing. What a unfairness to womens sports!!!!!
Elizabeth,
I am 100% on your side. Just one correction to point out. University of Pennsylvania is not Penn State. They are two totally different schools.
Hi Elizabeth!
I would like to thank you for your extremely transphobic and regressive opinions regarding Lia Thomas. It is so eye opening to see someone be so wrong about transgender women and their role that they play in women’s sports!
Lia has met every guideline set by the conference and continues to do so. Before her transition, she was very successful in her career on the men’s team and has continued to improve. As a transgender person goes through transitioning, their overall testosterone goes and down and it can sometimes inhibit their ability to perform athletically. Her biological disposition to these “advantages” that you claim exist is completely false. Even if it was accurate, some people are genetically predispositioned to excel in certain sports. Michael Phelps, for example, has a larger than average wingspan, large feet, and his lungs can intake more air. All of these are genetic advantages that allowed him to dominate in swimming, but no one argues that he should not have been able to compete as a result of these advantages.
Additionally, your opinion that a person would willingly go through a chemical transition to be a better competitor in swimming is disgusting and, overall, a grossly ignorant opinion that invalidates someone’s entire identity.
Transgender women belong in sports, they should be welcomed and celebrated rather than questioned and criticized. This is not a ploy to abuse the LGBT community in order to succeed, Thomas is an example of someone representing trans athletes everywhere.
Overall, your comment is disgusting and the article itself is rooted in views that paint her 16 teammates to be the victims. Not every member of the team signed this letter and the university has an obligation to not discriminate against trans athletes that has occurred for far too long.
I recommend that you, the author of this article, and anyone else that agrees with this standpoint to think long and hard on whether your views are in support of fairness or that they exist solely to perpetuate transphobia.
Great editorial. No need to humiliate others GG
FOR THAT IS THE WAY OF POLITICS NOT SPORTS!!!
You’re confusing Penn State and the University of Pennsylvania. Penn State is not in the Ivy League, but is instead part of the Big 10 conference. The University of Pennsylvania is in the Ivy League, and is the subject of this article.
Are you serious? She transitioned just so she could be a top female swimmer? You’re an idiot. I just think she should choose NOT to compete because she has an unfair advantage. You, on the other hand, are dilusional.
Elizabeth I have to totally agree with you on this situation. The NCAA has completely failed title IX for women.
I would like to point out one fallacy of your statement though. The university involved is not Penn State University, which is a Big Ten team, but Penn university in the Ivy league. Two different universities. But Penn State did have your stated problems with the football team years ago.
I wholly agree with your comments except it’s at the University of Pennsylvania and not Penn State. They are totally different schools about 400 miles apart. But the fact that we have a transgendered male that can’t compete with other men so he decides to compete against women totally goes against all of the hard work women athletics have done over the last 25 years. Really shameful. It shouldn’t be allowed to compete in the NCAA. End of story
Different universities. Penn State is the Jerry Sandusky stuff. This is Penn U.
A man competing as a woman. What else needs to be said.
You need to check your facts. You aren’t even speaking of the correct university.
Penn State is a different school than the University of Pennsylvania….
It’s the university of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Ivy League, not the cow college to which you refer. Did you even read the article?
It’s Penn. Not Penn State. Two entirely different universities.
While I agree with you, it must be known that Thomas is swimming for Penn(University of Pennsylvania) than Penn State.
Start a Transgender Athletic Division and leave all existing Divisions alone. Have your own rules,Funding ,Referees,Scholarships, Governing and Policing Body and Support systems. Do not change what is in place now. Have your own Transgender Division.
Penn is the University of Pennsylvania not Penn State University .Penn state is in the Big Ten , Penn is in the Ivy League.
Wow. What a nasty and ignorant comment.
The University of Pennsylvania, Penn, is not Penn State. They are two different institutions.
Her previous male teammates actually released an article saying that he was pretty unnoticed in the male swimming competitive scene. That he wasn’t even in the top half on the team.
Hey anonymous, your analogies between disadvantages in height for basketball players and the wealth are totally erroneous. Fact: we have a biological male competing in a female sport.
As an amatuer trans athlete myself I think what Lia is doing is selfish and damaging. I wish she was a wise and brave person. She’s not. Perhaps during the meets, the other woman can choose to simply not swim against her. If they all stayed rooted to their diving platforms while Lia races, that would bring the whole show to a stop.
Time to take a breath and sort this out.
Elizabeth. Please make sure you know what you are talking about before condemning an entire institution and it’s athletes. Lia is student athlete at Penn not Penn State.
You make some good points, but then you kill your cred with your anger towards “Penn State” who is not part of this conversation.
Penn State is NOT University of Pennsylvania. Please get your facts straight.
You have to be delusional to think that someone would begin hormone replacement therapy – and continue to do so for years, and take on all of the other social, emotional and health-related issues and processes of changing one’s gender just to become a top seed in swimming. Literally no one makes that choice. And – as a member of the men’s team – was a significant point-scorer and second-team all-Ivy
2018-19: Second-team All-Ivy in the 500 free, 1,000 free, and 1,650 free after reaching the ‘A’ final of the Ivy League Championships and finishing second overall in each of the events.
2017-18: Ivy League Championships qualifier in 500 free (A final), 1000 free (A final), 1650 free (A final).
She goes to Penn not Penn State. Completely different .
PSU?
University of Pennsylvania is in Philadelphia and is definitely not related to Penn State, which is in University Park, PA
Elizabeth, what were YOUR reasons for becoming a lesbian? Did you get to take advantage of something? See what a ridiculous question that is? Now look at your postulating that Lia transitioned solely for swimming? That is fairly insulting, particularly from a fellow LGBTQ community member. It’s a borderline TERF move. Shame.
Do you know what’s even more ridiculous than supporting a man swimming against women? Believing that you need to correct Elizabeth about her Penn State error after 200 people before you already have.
I have a thought very drastic thought why not boycott the event yes it is not what Swimmers want but something that is needed only way ncaa will understand
I agree 100 percent. This is the only option the legitimate females have at their disposal. They will pay dearly for standing up, but for the sake of the sport, they need to do it.
The athletes would lose their scholarships.
It Doesn’t matter What school it is the whole thing is totally wrong. Either the school is looking for notoriety or championship Trophies. They care more about the 001 percent, than the 99.999 percent, People in the future are going to look back on us and Talk about how big a fool’s we are
Even though a boycott may affect any of the women participating adversely, I do believe it would send a very powerful message, as a whole, to the athletic community that women’s voices will be heard. You cannot silence
I think boycotting is a great way to express how unfair this whole process has been since Lia transformed and joined the team. Though the team may suffer consequences from the boycott, it will certainly send a loud and clear message to the athletic community; that women are not going to continue taking a backseat when it comes to equity in sports, business or our community. This is not about taking away Lia’s right to be a transgender woman, but rather about competing on a fair playing field. It’s unfortunate that Penn refuses to listen to the concerns of the biological females on the team as well as stark evidence that points to an overwhelming advantage Lia has over her competition. Boycotting the upcoming events, if it hasn’t already, will draw more attention to the need to have this debate on a national scale.
Ridiculous a man racing against women. This is why medals, and scholarships are being unfairly taken away from girls and ladies in sports. Women everywhere should boycott. Disgusting, ignorant .
Total agree the real woman should not race but take the racing stand and let mia race by himself that would show ncaa and usa swimming committee that it’s unfair for a man to swim against woman ! No matter how many chemicals he takes he is still a man just because he could not compete with men he feels he has to race with woman what a loser !!!
Imagine thinking someone would willingly put themselves in the path of this kind of vitriol just to win a few races.
I can’t fathom what carrying this kind of anger and bitterness around would do to your emotional stability. I feel for you, genuinely. I hope you can find some peace and learn to be kind, Elizabeth.
Goodness, how can this even be happening with a straight face. This person pretends to represent transgender rights by blatantly dismissing and stepping on other people’s rights and feelings. This is not an example of someone doing something one time that undermines other people’s rights . The other athletes have been working years and years to get to this point and suddenly someone is unfairly placed in front of them. So typical these days of people whining that they have been denied certain rights yet willing to go so far to get those rights only to deny others their rights. Such hypocrisy!
Whose rights are being trampled on here, precisely? Precisely what government-granted rights are in jeopardy by Lia competing?
To Sean’s idiotic question about “which rights:” It’s called Title IX, women and girls’ right to equal access of educational opportunities, including school athletics. That right is now gone thanks to the gender cult.
“Penn students are in the top 1% of wealthiest people on earth”
Source for this lie?
It’s not misogynistic or discriminatory at all…Fair play in EVERY competitive sport has been in the forefront, which is why performance enhancement drugs have been banned…A couple are steroids/testosterone injection enhancers, which promote muscle growth very short periods of time, to be brief in description. Biological males produce this NATURALLY. It doesn’t just shut off. Being a Male for years, training and competing has generated muscle development naturally. Ever heard the term “old man strength?” The is derived from an active male using their muscle consistently for decades and being strong. It’s not a myth it’s relevant and common sense. Ms. Thomas had that advantage for quite some time. NOT fair at all…Transgender Divisions is the solution. Fair play…Don’t be scared. ALL participants would be on a LEVEL playing field.
Agreed! Why don’t transgender males want their own leagues? Why do they ONLY want to play against women?
Seems winning is all they care about, which is why they’re insisting on the right to cheat.
Why are you referring to a man as a she I don’t care what kind of surgery has taken place the birth certificate of Mr Thomas says he was a male born a male will die a male no matter what he says or feels or thinks it’s simple biology one cannot change its biological origin of birth he does not belong anywhere near a pool with women athlete’s
Boycott!!
Amen, if Lia had any sense of fairness, she would drop out. A cheater…especially when no successes like this when on the men’s team. Has nothing to do with with her right to transgender, it’s rights of the other female athletes and Lia’s unfair advantage.
It is so sad that these young women have worked so hard for so many years only to be minimized. Everyone is trampling on the women’s right for fair competition to look good to a small percentage of people. It’s so sad that women don’t have a voice
Keep in mind that one of the most notable celebrity, athlete and transgender Catelyn/ Bruce Jenner, spoke out saying that man’s- born as a male- physical body, hormone therapy or not, is still stronger than a female born physical body and strength cannot be compared to the physical makeup of the male body. Therefore competing on a one on one, is unfair. Based on this there is NO competition.
The other swimmers that are to compete with this fiasco should jump in the pool at the start and not swim..it’s called a protest!
Your comment is absolutely right on!!
Good article but don’t get him ‘she’.
No female athlete graduating from high school should consider an Ivy League school to compete. Young ladies find another conference.
You hit it right on the head. As the father of a female swimmer I would advise and push my daughter to look at any other option other than to swim at the Ivy League Conference. 15 years of hard work and commitment and for what. To be marginalized by a conference that takes this for granted
It’s a shame that a conference which has great centers of learning and education would tarnish their reputation. I hope the retribution is that future hard working and committed female athletes will find better options at other schools. This conference doesn’t deserve these awesome athletes
It doesn’t matter what conference, your daughter is probably out of luck because there’s a bill in the US Senate that would allow men to compete in athletics as women at every level of competition.
I’m pretty sure this federal bill would supersede any state laws banning men who claim to be women from women’s athletics. And so every conference would have to allow men who claim to be women to swim against women.
I can’t write the name of the bill because apparently this magazine will not print my post if I do, but look it up, and if you care about women’s athletics, do something about it.
Even if they don’t swim Ivy League they still have no chance at the NCAA Championships. This is a nationwide, actually a worldwide, problem. These girls have an obligation to boycott. They need to understand this is bigger than scholarships and personal swimming goals/careers. This has become about women’s rights. It needs to be fought for once again.
Women swimmers were totally screwed by the decision!
The worked for years to get a chance toward their dreams and had it taken away unfairly!
Transgender athletes have a huge advantage over the female athletes in any sport because they are physically stronger in size and strength.
Testosterone suppression does not make them the same and never will!
Simply look at the transgender wrestler who dominated and won competitions against natural born women wrestlers a few years ago. They had no chance!
Show me a female athlete who becomes a male that competes against male athletes in sports requiring strength and size and wins!
That’s not likely at all! Biology is biology male will dominate against women!
It is a slap in the face for ALL women to compete against these transgender athletes!
The article is right on target. Unfortunately, the pm
.coIvy League has brilliant minds and no ‘common sense’. As ideologues blindly espousing an ideology they fail to see the harm they are doing women’s sports. They appear to follow a ‘groupthink’ decision making process which claiming a moral ascendency fails to yapproximate ‘fairness’ or a genuine concern for their female athletes. Perhaps the Ivy League decision makers should review the writings of Irving Janis. As one reader suggested maybe true females boycott an unfair league without an even playing field.
Isn’t it a supreme irony (and injustice) that the women most affected by this situation cannot speak out without suffering serious repercussions… and so a man must speak for them. We’ve gone backwards.
All the swimmers should not participate in the rest of the swim meets. It is absurd to think they are swimming on the same advantages.
I hope none of the women on the team show up for the meet! The will still win! They have a Man in a dress to win every event. So easy to be a champion go out for woman’s sports.
What an outstanding editorial. Well said!!
He is a SHE in name only. wilLIAm Thomas. All other matters aside, the lie begins there. No need for moralizing unless the core issue is addressed.
Excellent commentary, thank you for speaking out. Hard working women do not deserve to be excluded from their sports or accused of transphobia for objecting to males in their sports.
“Hard-working women”?! These women are in the top 1% of wealthiest people on earth and haven’t worked hard for a living a day in their life and they never will. Get real and check out U of Penn swim team demographics please.
“Working” as in “Training” for Swimming Competition.
-Sarge
These women athletes may be rich, hell I’m rich, but it does not mean they don’t work hard. What in the world makes you think rich is exclusive of hard work? Figure you must be poor and stupid. So sad for you
Geez! Give the 1%er thing a rest. It has NOTHING to do with the issue. Even if Thomas meets the testosterone threshold given by the NCAA (which is double the threshold given by USA Swimming), she will still have 4-5x the level of testosterone as her competition.
Then I guess Thomas works even less than they do. Once ranked 462, now #1. Cheating is cheating. If those women aren’t working hard then Thomas isn’t lifting a finger.
“ELAINE SMITH” and “SEASON”..How many times will you try to comment under different names? You’re the only person on here trying to justify male athletes competing against female athletes. Everything else aside Lia Thomas has a larger lung capacity and a larger, stronger and faster body composition..MALE. At the end of every single day Lia Thomas will forever have the biological DNA profile of a MALE. You can take estrogen and have breast augmentation or even have your penis augmented to create an orifice for intercourse and to APPEAR LIKE a vagina but It is not a genuine vagina, there is no uterus or fallopian tubes or actual breast tissue with mammary glands. Trans women will NEVER be biologically female. We see you. The only way to remedy this injustice is to create a transgender category for competition. One last note, you never hear of trans men screaming about their “RIGHTS” to compete AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MEN in any competitive sport. Why do you think that is? BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO PHYSICAL OR BIOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE AND THEY WOULD NOT WIN. THEY WILL FOREVER HAVE THE BIOLOGICAL DNA PROFILE OF A FEMALE WHICH PUTS THEM AT A PHYSICAL ADVANTAGE. WAKE UP. Biology matters. Sex matters. We grant transgender people the respect of calling them their preferred gender. This is their PREFERRED gender. It is NOT their biological sex.
Season, jealous? Just because a person has money doesn’t mean they do not work hard! You sound so bitter.
Is not drugs hence not permitted for any athlete
So why are drugs in these athletes permitted hence hormonal drugs. Very hypocritical and not accurate
I agree, it is excellent commentary and spot on. Thanks for having the courage to write it. In todays times it’s not hyperbole the use the work courage.
Excellent commentary. We need more people to stand up against this blatant and shameless violation of the rights of women and girls. It sends the outrageous, shameful and profoundly damaging message that women and girls just don’t matter as much as men. This is not progress. It’s the same old misogyny.
Totally agree100%!
I agree 100%. This is rebranded misogyny plain and simple and the NCAA and Penn university should be ashamed of themselves for promoting this new brand of misogyny in disguise.
And Penn should be especially ashamed of telling these brave women swimmers to seek mental health counseling if they disagreed with swimming against a man.
This man claims to be a woman in his head, yet Penn is telling women who are actual women, whose rights he’s going to trample on, to seek counseling?
I have zero respect for the Ivy League and for the NCAA. I think that I’m not alone.
All women who are forced to “compete” against men who are pretending to be women should just deliberately lose. Do a belly flop into the pool and swim leisurely up and down the pool. Walk down the race course to the finish line. Stand aside and let the ball get kicked into the net. Take one punch and fall to the canvas. Throw the ball to the other “team” and let them score.
Soon, there will be no women’s sports anyway. Just cheating cowards who are too weak to compete against real men. And a few woke spectators cheering them on and calling these cowards heroes. Welcome to the future, my friends.
Thank you to Mr. Lohn!
Just a correction:
There is no such thing as a “transgender'” female: a “female” is a human being who, when her reproductive system is functioning as it should, will produce ova (eggs) and can give birth. No male will ever produce ova. No male will give birth.
Also, as others have pointed out, male advantages in athletics begins before puberty.
Please, everyone, STOP trans-washing language and biology.
Woman is not an umbrella term.
Great commentary. I wish you had talked about some of the biological science behind the outcry so that others can understand exactly why the playing field is not even.
Men’s heart and lungs are larger than a biological woman’s heart and lungs. Hormone therapy cannot reduce wingspan, hand size, and foot size all of which play a role in swimming. Ask Michael Phelps.
Perfect message…
Name-calling is a tactic for those who have no argument. Call me a transphobic TERF bigot all you want. Humans still can’t change sex.
Also, thanks for telling me about Ovarit! I hadn’t heard of it before. I hope more women read your comment and check it out!
Yes a group of 14 year old boys destroyed the is womans olympic soccer team about 3 to 5 years ago..
14 year old boy beat the top women professional soccer players in the world. Ponder thst and the fairness of an 18 year oldan wearing a girls speedo and winninh a race by 20 full seconds? Seriously who in thier right mind advocates for this?
You clearly hate trans people. Trans women are women and deserve to be treated the same as any other woman. This is full of hate speech.
@Sara, if any other woman took hormones for many years leading to extensive muscle development, that woman would be banned from competition for life. Transwomen are women and should be able to live their true lives but individual liberties have limitations when they infringe on the rights of others to access similar privileges, such as engaging in reasonably fair athletic competition.
Who decides what is “reasonably fair athletic competition”? Is it reasonably fair to let people who are over 7 foot tall on the college team when less than .01% of people are that tall? Is it reasonably fair to let Penn swim team compete when they are in the top 1% of wealthiest people and have more wealth than bottom 80% of world combined? That’s a distinct advantage in training and facilities for decades.
If you want fairness in competition, then eliminate gender discrimination and just put the slow kids, regardless of sex, in one pool, next slowest in another pool, and so on until all the kids, boys and girls, have competed in a bracket that was fair to them.
How are they women? Honest question: what makes these men women?
How do they know they’re women? What do they share with me, a woman?
And why do women have to give up our rights, our sports and our safe spaces for them?
We fought for decades for equality in sex-based sports. You want us to step aside in order to coddle male feelings. No. ONE female displaced or discouraged by this anti-science, anti-woman, unfair and illogical nonsense is one too many. If you think standing up for women – human females – is hate speech, you are a misogynist. Period.
Cool
Thank you
The article is right on target. Unfortunately, the pm
.coIvy League has brilliant minds and no ‘common sense’. As ideologues blindly espousing an ideology they fail to see the harm they are doing women’s sports. They appear to follow a ‘groupthink’ decision making process which claiming a moral ascendency fails to yapproximate ‘fairness’ or a genuine concern for their female athletes. Perhaps the Ivy League decision makers should review the writings of Irving Janis. As one reader suggested maybe true females boycott an unfair league without an even playing field.
There should be a new competitive category. A “trans” category. That seems to me that it would be the most fair solution. No?
You are misguided, I only am in favor of fairness, LT is a MAN, bigger bones, stronger muscles, bigger lungs, and so on. He clearly has an advantage over BIOLOGICAL FEMALES. It’s not fair.
Totally agree
Yawn. “Hate speech” is a meaningless term. Try again.
Haha! It’s called freedom of speech. Read a history book “anonymous”!
So biological women who can’t have kids aren’t women? & they already know how to transplant a uterus into a transgender female to have kids. Plus they are not born male. They are born with a female brain & a defective body. That drs. Can fix.& by being on hrt your strength goes down
These young women need to stop complaining because they not good. Work harder.
Anonymous–you do realize that the fetus is subjected to the anti-rejection drugs the male has to take to retain the uterus. Of course, “relieving trans dysphoria” is worth any risks to a baby! /s
Medicine has truly gone off the rails of the Hippocratic Oath.
No male has successfully had a uterine implant or carried a fetus. That’s a complete lie.
Nice try but that transphobic card is losing its power
No, there’s no such thing as “transitioning”. Youre not becoming something new. Humans are binary. You are what you are, despite what you think or your friends agree to. In fact they’re doing you a huge disservice if they agree with your delusions.
Very well said. Humans can’t change sex. Thomas’s only “transition” was the transition from legitimate athlete to cheater.
XX chromosome =female
XY chromosome =male
You can NEVER change that no matter how many hormones that you take. Lia is a MAN (XY) and ALWAYS will be!
Agree 100%. What does her/his DNA read??? Male will always read male and female will always read female, no matter what surgeries, meds, etc., has been consumed/ingested. End of story.
You clearly did not read the article, because there is not one shred of “hate speech” in it. At all. You’re actually doing EXACTLY the same thing the author is accusing Penn and the Ivy League of doing…using the blanket term of “transphobia” against ANY viewpoint that doesn’t exactly align with their own, whether or not it legitimately applies. The fact that Lia Thomas is going into her next meet displaying times that range from 5 seconds to 20 seconds faster than any of her competitors – an eternity in swimming events – is proof positive that she is NOT the “the same as any other woman.” Endlessly pulling the transphobia card is starting to become a parody of itself lately, especially with self-loathing, brainwashed individuals like yourself.
Lia is a biological man. He can play pretend but will never be a biological female or woman. Trans identified men are men for life.
This is not hate speech against trans. Please understand that transitioning to another sex does not change your DNA, only one’s perception of who they are. Period Lia’s heart, lungs , physical male characteristics are still male no matter what hormones are being suppressed. An unfair advantage and still a man competing against women.
The Univerity of Pennsylvania & the Ivy League is out of tournaments with reality. I agree with many of the comments regarding the Trans swimmer; she clearly is at an advantage biologically & I wish the remaining female swimmers would make a stand & walk out of the pool at the next tournament. Regardless of that stupid 1% comment; they are intelligent enough to go to any university. Oh, one other thing, I would never, ever want my daughter to be in the same locker room with a Trans. The University of Pennsylvania needs to get a grip.
Trans women Re not women. Every cell of their body comtains male dna. Its unbelievably silly for colleges to believe this insanity
No they are not. They identify as one. You could identify as a tree but you are not!
Exactely !
Ignorant… Extremely ignorant! There’s a huge difference between a “phobia” and common sense.
So you admit that your cult believes it’s “hate speech” when women tell men “no.”
You say “trans women are women.” If you are so sure of this please tell us which characteristics they have that makes them have more in common with biological women than men. Please be specific.
Years and years of women’s sports is now in danger because of the fear of offending someone. An ok competitive male swimmer who becomes transgender and is now top of the women’s sport. There’s a problem here. All these women who’ve been busting their butts all their lives have now been discredited. No records or wins. Means no more opportunities. This is completely wrong and to silence the ones who are affected is even worse.
Thank you for being one of the only outlets speaking the clear and simple TRUTH about this situation. I feel so bad for the women on the Penn swimming team.
If this lunacy is allowed to continue I predict 20 years from now every female sport will be dominated by men in dresses. Transgender= misogyny
lol. what a dumb statement. So as per your logic more men will suddenly start ‘wearing dresses’ (transgender is different from cross dressing btw) because of lax rules. And ofcourse this is why this swimmer is doing it. You know just because you jerk off to other men in tights, while CHOOSING to rape your cousin doesnt make you straight.
It doesn’t matter what Thomas’s motives are. Human beings can’t change sex no matter how sincerely they want to. Males can never become female.
It is certainly not fair for Lia Thomas to compete against women. But, the problem that we see here is far worse. The Ivy League contains eight of the premier colleges and universities in the United States. Its alumni run a large portion of the federal government and many businesses. But, the Ivy League leadership, and a significant part of its student body, are in thrall to an ideology that is based upon the lie that Lia Thomas is a woman. A nation whose prominent citizens can’t tell the difference between truth and falsehood won’t survive, and its end will be nasty.
Moreover, to promote and protect its ideology, the Ivy League leadership is resorting to suppressing speech and opinions that challenge its position. It must do this because an open debate will demonstrate that their new emperor has no clothes. A society that prohibits debate destroys itself. You would think that colleges and universities would know better, but they think that these universal rules don’t apply to them. Some animals are more equal than others, after all.
What is particular heinous here is the suggestion by Penn that students that mental health counseling is available to students that might be upset by the success of Lia Thomas. The Soviets used to send political dissidents to psychiatric hospitals to “cure”them of their mental illness (recognizing and professing the truth). Again, these are the most prominent universities in America are teaching students that they are mentally ill if you think that Lia Thomas is a man and that it is not fair for him to compete against women. What are these students going to do when they becomes judges or run large corporations? What happens to America when they do? Or the rest of the West because this ideology is infecting it too?
Nothing good comes of this, and the least of the problems is that Lia Thomas is winning swim races and breaking records.
The irony here is that unless you fully accommodate the delusion of someone with gender dysmorphia, you yourself are termed transphobic or in need of mental help. It’s like “The Emperor’s New clothes” – one delusional man surrounded by hundreds of cowardly sychophants playing pretend. Ask a child if this is fair.
The Emperor’s New Clothes is a fairy tale. Too often, everyone would have stoned the child for pointing out the Emperor wasn’t wearing anything. We need a First Amendment so everyone listens because sometimes the child is right. We need academic institutions that don’t suppress the truth, but instead promote vigorous debate over what is true so that we can’t figure out what it is.
Veritas:
” but instead promote vigorous debate over what is true so that we can’t figure out what it is.”
Is this a freudian slip, Veritas? So that we CAN’t figure out what the truth is? Keep everyone arguing so nothing is done to prevent men from taking over women’s sports?
Yeah, that’s a strategy I recognize.
The emperor is naked. And he’s in the women’s locker room.
Well said, Veritas. Please consider adding how much the Ivy League also influences academia and teacher unions. It is in the grade schools and high schools that the woke and crt indoctrination occurs so that by the time the sheeple get to college they are well trained already. And the Ivy League are the biggest proponents.
You are 100% correct. If only more people would examine the deeper issues, we would be better off.
Stay on the blocks ladies and the world will cheer.
Agreed!
Thank you.
What does them being in the 1% have to do with them racing against a man? Nothing. I’m so tired of people tap dancing around the words and grammar we use to explain what’s happening. Lia can decide in his mind that he wants to be a woman but he will never be one because he’s a MAN. When he competed on the men’s team he was ranked somewhere like 462. He transitions to be “called” a woman, joins the women’s team and is now ranked number 1. LIA THOMAS IS A CHEATER. End of story. All of his wins have a big fat asterisk next to them. They are not legitimate. If he were still racing against men, we wouldn’t even know his name.
Lia has gone through male puberty. He has a physical advantage over the women he gets naked with in the locker room and in the pool, too. There are reasons women have their own sports and private spaces where they can change with other marginalized, vulnerable women. And the reasons are to be afforded the opportunity to compete with others who have the same biology and rough skill level. If I were on this team, I would not leave the block.
Men are neither vulnerable nor women. Stop redefining the term Woman to include men. The transgender cult is a mens sexual freedom rights movement.
amen
Boom! Way to go on this brilliantly written article. It feels like real journalism is back! Let this be a lesson to all; it’s time to speak up and start taking back our power. Nobody has the right to change what’s right- and what’s right is letting real women have the sports as their own without Frankenstein people taking over.
Thank you for having the courage to tell the truth about how unfair it is for women to be competing against Lia Thomas. I’m so tired of people tap dancing around the words and grammar we use to explain what’s happening. Lia can decide in his mind that he wants to be a woman but he will never be one because he’s a MAN. When he competed on the men’s team he was ranked somewhere like 462. He transitions to be “called” a woman, joins the women’s team and is now ranked number 1. LIA THOMAS IS A CHEATER. End of story. All of his wins have a big fat asterisk next to them. They are not legitimate. If he were still racing against men, we wouldn’t even know his name.
I am both amazed and fascinated at how science is ignored in favor of desire. When did we lose all sense of critical thought? As a former science major in college, and high school science teacher, am I supposed to reject everything I was taught in favor of the “I want” people? Man is not so powerful that he can determine the validity of nature. What promoted that thinking? (The never say “no” to your kid philosophy?)
“Science is ignored in favor of desire”. This is the smartest statement of all. Thank you for writing that.
I have been reading and thinking a lot about the transgender delusion as it relates to sports, childhood transition, and women’s sex-based rights. This powerful ideology has infiltrated every major institution in our society in the last ten years. It would not have exploded this way without the Internet, which allows people to hide behind avatars and “be” whoever they wish to be online; it also enables transgender ideologues to influence confused young people who find puberty difficult and don’t feel they fit into the stereotypical expectation of what a boy or girl “should” be. Perhaps Will/Lia Thomas was one of these young people. He has fallen for a total lie: that humans can actually change their sex. I pray that he, as well as the thousands of other young people who have gone down this rabbit hole, will find their way out of it again. Meanwhile, we must defend the integrity of women’s sports, women’s prisons, and women’s shelters of all kinds, and boldly stand against the dangerous delusions of gender ideology.
You are so correct!
It is incredibly refreshing to see the position that I share with most of my friends, but which we aren’t able to express, in print. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Persons with intact male genitals who profess ‘lesbianism’ have NO PLACE in women’s lockerrooms- period. Let’s start there, shall we?
Please don’t refer to “Lia” as “female”. Lia is 100% male, because it is impossible to change sex.
Otherwise, a good article, looking at the reality of the situation.
I agree. Preferred pronouns are ridiculous. Lia is a man. Him/he.
Ok. There is a lot of people who simply do not believe transgender people exist. I’m not one of them. They do exist and it is real. The fact that many who do not experience this can say they know the truth, just because they always believed this and were taught this is the usual “I hate change” people. In this new world, every day there is change and change is what life is about. I get people’s reluctance to change their beliefs. That’s been happening since the beginning of time. All that said, transphobia is real. Lia is not a man. She is a transgender woman. And as far as I can tell everyone wants to argue and debate this fact. On both sides here, I see anger and hate. That’s not fair. People should be willing to have this conversation both on the transgender women are men with a mental illness and on the no, transgender are women changing their biology side. These are radically different ideas and debate is still good but without the flat earth anger response or the transphobic accusing response. Talk people!! Change is not bad, it creates new problems with new solutions tho. So as for the Lia Thomas’ of this new & changing world, more scientific studies need to be to done to determine exactly how to deal with this change in women’s sports. Everyone is right and everyone is wrong. That’s how I see this. Open your minds and reconsider your actions and thoughts. That is how we solve new problems to new issues as they arise. People LEAVE your hate at the door to new ideas and thoughts in an ever changing world.
It’s best not to open your mind so far that your brains fall out. No amount of insistence that a man is a woman will make me a believer. In am a woman, in my 60s, and I damn well know what being a woman means by now. “Woman” is taken. And don’t call me “cis”. It’s pathetic really that men dominate and co-opt at the same time. Get a grip, and leave women alone. We have enough problems as it is.
You did correctly identify a typographical error that I made while posting before 6:00 AM my time.
It’s not hate for women to say no. It’s not hate to decline to coddle a delusional male.
I actually am a transvestite and a Drag performer. I also played collegiate sports and cannot imagine a situation where it would have ever had been fair for me to have competed against female athletes. Even if I’d had testosterone reduction I was still 6’2, 215 lbs with years of competitive sports experience and weight lifting etc. Creating a new category for trans athletes is the only workable solution.
Marcie, no one is hating on Lia because he identifies as a woman. Do not call us transphobic because we have common sense. We just don’t like the fact that he is cheating. Whether you like it or not, he WAS born a man. If he were still competing against other men, we wouldn’t even be TALKING about him because he was ranked 462. So, he strategically identifies as a woman on the women’s team and is currently ranked number 1. Now everyone is talking about him just as he planned. Lia knows exactly what he’s doing and he damn well knows it isn’t fair. From what I’ve read, he still has a penis and dates women. He’s laughing behind closed doors about that. He gets to screw women two ways: in the pool and in the bedroom. So, don’t tell me to call him a woman when he’s sticking his penis in women. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a GOD DAMN DUCK!
No… just no.
For an issue you claim has nothing to do with transportation, there sure are a heck of a lot of horrifically transphobic comments. Maybe put your money where your mouth is and get a handle on this comments section?
Sean, yes, insist that everyone who disagrees with you be shut down. You can dish it out, but you can’t take it, it seems.
Censorship, what a great idea! Yes, let’s delete all comments that don’t cater to Thomas’ delusions! Let’s silence anyone who dares to tell the truth! Let’s make sure no one is allowed to state the fact that humans can’t change sex! Let’s make it illegal to not play along with lying males!
Unfortunately for you it won’t work. Everyone can see what’s going on here. Males cannot become female, even if they can use their male privilege to force everyone to pretend they can.
To quote an often used phrase, facts don’t care about feelings.
XX=Female
XY=Male
Nothing can change that fact.
Thanks you to those who responded and proved my point, lol. You don’t care about sports, you just want to hate.
What is a woman? What is the definition of that word? When a man with male genitalia identifies as a woman, what does that mean? Does it mean his favorite color is pink and he wants to wear satin bows in his hair? Does it mean he wants to cook and clean and change baby diapers while the other dudes watch football and play video games and drink beers?
What is a woman, Sean?
The truth isn’t hateful. There’s nothing hateful about calling a man a man. What’s hateful is forcing women to pretend that misogynistic males who get off on flashing their pen*ses at women while performing a humiliating, degrading impersonation of women, are actual women. If you think standing up to that is “hate,” then it’s clear that you hate women. You see us as nothing but props in a male fantasy, and you think we should be punished for refusing to play the role men are forcing on us. It’s not hate to tell men “no,” even when a woman does it.
Why did this person wait so long to have this done.i got it sick of loosing to Men. So had to transfer over to swimming as what you would call a female. No female there. Cheater
Somebody made a comment about men’s NBA and players over 6 ft having an advantage over other male players. As if this is a good example of what Lia means to women’s swimming. This is pretty ignorant. If you take a team of just 6 ft players from the NBA and you take your tallest players from the WNBA, I bet you the men’s team will win.
If she feels like a women than let her compete as a women against the men’s teams. There is a reason she is beating everyone in competition, and it’s because physically she is still a man, stronger, more powerful. Who’s kidding who? Maybe transgender sports will become a recognized thing in the future.
You can find dozens of 14 year old boys in America and Australia that are fast enough to beat the women Olympic medalists. And, that’s despite the fact that a lot of Americans never really train or race long course. There are hundreds of high school boys basketball teams in America that could beat the WBNA champs.
Every team should boycott. This an absolute shame. What next, a male tenadgeber basketball super star play on the women’s team. Welcome to the USA of China.
Will said! Remember we couldn’t have this conversation in China though. If he brings home a gold in the woman’ s competion, he he fully suppored!
I’m transgender. You forgot to mention how unfair Penn has been to the concerns of transpeople who most part enraged by Lias obliviousness. We hate Lia for what she did to us . We hate Penn for allowing the right leaning media to use Lia to promote their anti trans rhetoric
Thank you for sharing, Amy! Please keep speaking out. I agree with you: What Thomas is doing is unfair to transgender people as well.
Stop pretending to care about trans people if you’re going to use her deadname, lol. Look at you, co-opting a trans person’s legitimate comment to advance your transphobia.
By the way Sean you need to get your facts straight. Lia Thomas’s last name is “Thomas.” It’s not a “dead name”
Thanks Amy, and sorry you have been affected. I wish you well.
Thank you Amy. Extreme ideology and thoughtless action will always harm real progress. I’m so sorry you’re swept up in this. I wish you well.
I applaud you amy
Yes Amy. She knows what she is doing is wrong and that she has an unfair advantage. She has been hoodwinked by the transactivists who are using her to make a point. She is harming any progress the transgender movement makes. There are a lot of us liberals out there who support transgender individuals but believe male puberty is a deal breaker to be included in women’s sports. It is not just the right wing. And ultimately when the transgender movement loses support from people who are otherwise supportive over female sports, they have lost much more than they can possibly gain from a transgender woman breaking women’s records. Best of luck to you.
I’m about as “Left” as they come: refusing to believe that men can become women, and therefore usurp women’s rights and women’s sports, and invade and occupy women’s spaces, is not a “Left” or “Right” issue, it’s sanity.
Amy, I’m sorry what Lia is doing is harming the transgender community as well. Perhaps communicating this to Lia would help.
So crossdressed men are women if they say so, but only if we’re not talking about athletic competition? Nope, sorry. Reality matters, even when sports are not involved. Lia is a perfect representative of all the typical selfish, entitled, non-surgically altered “male lesbians” who are mindlessly defended against all rational criticism by misogynists who believe it’s a hate crime for a woman to tell a man NO.
All of the true women swimmers who are competing against transgender or fake transgender wanna be athletes should just dive into the pool and swim leisurely laps. They are not racing to win now anyways. The woke culture in this country has already made a mockery of women’s sports, so mock it them back by swimming to lose. They are only swimming for second place now, and when more biological men join the fiasco, they will find themselves competing for last place. If all female athletes openly compete to lose, just maybe, enough people will recognize the lunacy and cancel the woke idiots before it is too late.
It’s about biology not bigotry. The LGBT label is being exploited by someone who wants to have an unfair advantage. Lia Thomas realized that as a man would never going to achieve in swimming to the level of Michael Phelps.
The NCAA cares NOTHING about women. Why are they not speaking for themselves to let us know who they are and why they are taking this spineless stance? They have gone against the guidelines they ask for from USA Swimming. Who are they and why are they hiding and not explaining this unfairness?
John Lohn, at this point your bias is quite clear, and your commentaries are clearly redundant.
I hope all the swimmers have a great meet.
Seth, your bias has *always* been clear.
Good, I’m glad it’s clear that I am biased towards equality, diversity, and inclusion!
As a lesbian I too am offended by Lia. I am not here to argue university name but unfairness and misogyny that this university is doing. What a unfairness to womens sports!!!!!
I can’t speak for Lia’s motivations. I wish her nothing but the best as a human being, but there is a difference between men and women at a biological level. It is absolutely unfair to women that biological men be allowed to compete in women’s sports. It is beyond upsetting to me that both Penn and NCAA are blatantly disregarding the rights of the women who have earned scholarships and a place on a college team. This prestigious accomplishment is now being tarnished. What ever happened to Title IX? Women deserve the opportunity to compete against other women. Is a transgender division the answer? I don’t know, but the current solution is not a solution – it is just creating more problems
Lia Thomas is a man and should not be referred to as a she/her. Let’s begin there and stop the gender identity insanity.
Allison, I agree.
Thank you for the article, it’s about fairness and a just culture for all not just for one. Male athletes will loose nothing. It’s a fixed fight for female athletes, they will lose every time.
Thank you for speaking up.
In sports, physical and biological ability are critical factors.
Long ago, science established males and females have fundamentally different abilities. We are still discovering differences. This is isn’t new info!
If an athlete is having a cross-gender *social experience* it does not mean they have become a different sex.
In swimming, male bone structure is a huge advantage (narrow pelvis), even the exertion of “explosive strength” is unique to male muscles.
We can celebrate athletes for their social identity while respecting our biological differences and separate levels of capability.
Forget the Ivy League choosing this one transgender swimmer at the expense of “hundreds” of female swimmers; they are choosing one swimmer over THOUSANDS now and thousands more to come. Shame on them. This is exactly why legislators in other states have been trying to put restrictions in place to protect women’s sports BEFORE things become an issue. So sad, and I pray this course is righted sooner rather than later.
Since day one this magazine has done nothing but spread hate and now once to pish that off on the NCAA because they did not bend and break to you. Only a fraction support Lia you claim, well only a fraction were against her but you picked a side and only presented that article after article like you spoke for everyone. Thank goodness hate did not win.
If you consider advocacy for the health and future of biological female swimmers’ sports programs “hate,” then that pretty much says it all about you. Attempting to take moral high ground by falsely portraying this as personal attacks will not help you. If you have “picked a side,” against biological female swimmers, this magazine has only been present here to advocate for them. You are the one being negative here.
The Ivy League and NCAA had an opportunity to be leaders and do the hard work of finding a solution that is inclusive for transgender athletes while maintaining the integrity of women’s athletics. Instead they are being lazy and naïve. Do they not recognize that they are unnecessarily creating a backlash against trans athletes? Or was that their intent in the first place? Separately, does a transgender female who went through puberty as a male (yielding undeniable and irreversible physical and cardiovascular benefits as compared with biological females) really get a sense of satisfaction from beating biological females in a sport that is so dependent on size, strength and cardiovascular capacity?
I would suggest that the female swimmers not compete at all. Let Lia Thomas be the only person on the team.
One great thing about swimming is that you can go do your best regardless of what anyone else does. Both of my sons have had COVID in the last five weeks, and neither will swim as fast as they could have otherwise in their end of season meets. For one, it might be his last real meet. But, I am confident both will go out and swam as fast as they as can.
The women should go swim as fast as they can this week and at NCAAs because they can only control what they do, not what others do. And some of us will always know who really won the races and holds the records.
I agree that all the women should boycott and refuse to compete against a man. Can’t have a race with just Lia.
No female athlete graduating from high school should consider an Ivy League school to compete. Young ladies there are plenty of other colleges to choose from and conferences. Find another place to compete!
9
This might be the gender lobby’s goal. Some Ivy League colleges didn’t allow women to enroll until the 1970s. Plenty of men would love to see women forced back into the kitchen (except the “women” with pen*ses like Thomas, of course!).
A man competing against women. What else needs to be said. It’s the New World Disorder.
I can’t wait until the day that transphobia is regarded in the same light that racism is and yall look like absolute buffoons for having this whack opinion
It’s not about Transphobia knucklehead. Phobia is a fear and no one is afraid of trannies or crossdressers, or at least I’m not. It’s about fairness, pure and simple and men have a distinct biological advantage. End of story.
Sorry, Lia but the issue is about biology, not bigotry.
….babies don’t make you female…
…the menstrual cycle does…..
…only women bleed.
“Lia” has no right to swim against females. That’s absolutely ridiculous. If she wants to parade around in women’s clothing, it’s okay with me. I could not care less other than she’ll look silly, but that’s another topic entirely. Three years on the Men’s team at Penn and now he wants to swim on the women’s team? Sounds like a comedic movie to me. I support Women’s athletics 100% and that does not include men with major psychological issues. The U of Pennsylvania and the NCAA should be ashamed of themselves, but they don’t want to ban her because of potential lawsuits. It’s all about the money, trust me.
Bob, I wouldn’t be the first person to say that playing the transphobic card is getting pretty stale. Where’s your imagination?
Just two quick reminders.
1) only post when you are sober.
2) Plenty of Liberals are outraged by the Lia Thomas situation and are speaking up.
There should be a new competitive category. A “trans” category. That seems to me that it would be the most fair solution. No?
Yes, you are correct. But the “transwomen” refuse that option. They only want to compete with women.
Penn had a really good women’s team this year without Lia Thomas. One of the many bad things happening here is that the Penn women might have won the Ivy League Championship without Lia, but now, if they win, their win will be forever be tainted even though they might have won it on their own.
This is such a disgusting article. The trans-hatred is astounding. This magazine should be ashamed, as should be many of these misinformed comments. Imagine finding the courage to come out, just for ppl like the readers of this trash magazine to keep you from reaching your potential as a human.
Thomas did reach his potential–as a male swimmer since he was 5. To reach his potential as a human it is not essential that he swim on the women’s team, and that is all this article is about. He is free to transition to a transgender woman–no one is stopping him from doing that, or criticizing him for feeling like a woman. He has yet to fully transition. He has just been taking hormones for a short time. Being able to do anything you want is not part of being fully human. Being fully human is recognizing how your choices affect everyone around you.
Amen to that
Potential as a human? If we’re talking swimming he already peaked. His times are slower now, all you did was change his competition. He didn’t get any better by growing his hair out and deciding to be called her.
Realize this isn’t some big life change. It’s a sham. Lia could literally stop talking pills, take his package back out and continue life as a guy again whenever he desires. This is nonsense propaganda and everyone is scared of the insane minority. 8 people in the backwoods hate trans people, nobody else gives a crap. This isn’t about that. Lia isn’t trans either. He’s a dude getting a lot of attention. Grow up lunatics.
>This is such a disgusting article. The trans-hatred is astounding.
What you really mean is that you disagree with the article and dislike the women that remind you that Lia is a male.
Unfortunately, Lia will swim. Nobody has prevented him from doing anything or think that he should be prevented from swimming. We just think he belongs with the men. (He is one, after all.)
Anonymous, there is no trans hatred here so stop playing the victim. We have been very respectful of Lia’s choice to come out. He just should have continued racing against men is all since he is a biological male. He can’t wish away his physique. His shoulders look like Michael Phelps and you know it. When he was unsuccessful on the men’s swim team for three years U Penn allowed him to join the women’s team, crushing the dreams of biological females in the process. His female teammates have been told they will never find jobs upon graduation if they speak out about the unfairness of having to race against a man. Lia has gotten EVERYTHING he wanted at the expense of his female teammates. They have suffered in silence and continue to bear it with grace and dignity. Since they can’t speak for themselves, we do it for them. They are the real victims here.
There’s no trans hatred here? Have you *READ* this comment section? Half of them gleefully misgender her. This isn’t about fair play, this is just folks who want to hate.
They’re afraid and I don’t blame them. Plenty of angry males have made violent threats and worse towards women who don’t comply with the lies. Look up the murderer David Warfield who now goes by “Dana Rivers.” Look at the threats recorded at terfisaslur.com.
Women know that there will always be men who want to kill us for telling them “no.” The gender cult just handed those men a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Well said, thank you!
Hi Elaine!
The anecdotal examples that you give, have been debunked by scientists. Here is some information from Emma Hilton – who has analyzed the so-called Phelps argument (but his wingspan is so big):
She writes: “I’ve analysed and compared the competitive advantage Phelps held over the male field. It’s pretty small, and well within what would be considered fair. Phelps’ wingspan:height ratio is 1.04. It’s straightforward to find other males with the same ratio who are slower than Phelps in some strokes, but who are faster in others. What you never find is a female with the same wingspan:height ratio who is there or thereabouts compared with Phelps.
The British Journal of Sports Medicine did a study on testosterone that similarly debunked your idea that suppression would level the playing field. After two years of suppression, US soldiers Air Force retained enough of advantage – to crush their biologically female competitors.
It’s always best to understand the science behind sex differentiation and transgender medicine – and base our approach on that. Otherwise, it’s just anecdotes (that, in this case, turn out to be wrong).
Great article, as a father with 2 daughters in college sports this needs to happen in every sport before we destroy women’s athletics.
So silly, let’s just have one division for all. Then there is no debate, or many women that will play most sports. The fact any human argues that a dude, with a penis, that popped a few pills should be competing with women shows you the world we live in. Stop allowing nonsense and censoring yourselves.
Agree with you – one division for all. And it can be sub divided into speed brackets like fastest, fast, average, slow, slowest. Better names of course. As many brackets as it takes to get women in (100 brackets if needed). That way we eliminate separating by gender identity and use science and data instead. As an aside, no one here seemed to make a fuss when girls took spots on boys teams. Seems hypocritical to be so worked up now.
Anyway, Lia is a woman because she says she is a woman. Period. Since she is a woman, she can compete on women teams. History is written by academia and academia is woke; your arguments against Lia will be remembered as Transphobic and akin to racism. When her book comes out, it will be the story of a hero in the face of the transphobic mob.
Behold the schools you supported.
No I am not transphobic, I do not hate or fear someone who has decided to alter their bodies to try and become more like a gender with which they identify. I do my best to treat everyone the same. If you want to have a surgical procedure performed on your body, that is your prerogative. What I object to is the way Lia Thomas is saying he is identifying as a woman in order to get his name in the record books. If he genuinely feels that he needs to identify as a woman, why as he not yet had genital reconstruction? This is comparable to male prison inmates “identifying” as females so that they can get into the female prison and become a threat to the women that are there. Furthermore, Lia will never be a female, he will always be a male no matter what surgery, clothing, hair style, makeup, or mannerisms he employs. In the past, women had to create their own sports leagues in order to compete on a level playing field. True, there are some sports where biological males and females can compete on a level playing field; however, swimming, weight lifting, wrestling, MMA fighting, track/field, are prime examples where a post pubescent biological male should not be competing against biological females. If transgenders want to compete in sports after puberty and/or years of training and competing, then create your own leagues. I am so sick and tired of the 1-7% percent dictating to others on how they are supposed to behave. And yes, I am part of the 1-7% and I have been successful in sports and business without throwing my preferences in someone’s face and expecting special treatment/privileges. This is what happens when children are raised where they feel that no matter what they do, there will be no consequences. Participation trophies – what a joke.