A Penn teammate of Lia Thomas has spoken out about the fairness of transgender swimming, specifically Thomas.
The swimmer spoke to News Nation on the condition of anonymity and her on-air interview had her likeness and voice changed to keep that anonymity since Penn and the Ivy League have kept their athletes from speaking about the controversy surrounding Lia Thomas.
Thomas formerly competed as a member of Penn’s men’s squad for three years, before transitioning to a woman during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Thomas started to compete for the Penn women’s team, having met the NCAA’s transgender-participation condition of one year of hormone-suppressant therapy. That requirement, which was based on outdated science, has since been changed. The NCAA initially indicated it would follow USA Swimming guidelines for transgender inclusion, but when the governing body for the sport in the United States announced stringent parameters, the NCAA balked.
A number of parents of Penn swimmers have spoken out about this issue, as well as former and a few current swimmers. But few teammates have gone on the record and the most comprehensive has been this News Nation interview.
Thomas’ teammate reiterated, and the article did as well, that she supports Lia Thomas’ transition, but feels that her competing in women’s swimming is “unfair.”
“The first word that comes to my mind is insane,” the swimmer told NewsNation. “I feel like it’s something that’s so basic that people have just somehow managed to twist and make (it) way more complicated than it should have ever been.
“It is not like people are discriminating against Lia and not allowing her to swim. She identified as a woman and competed on the men’s team. That was the choice she was making. Then to compete with the women’s team. That is something that cisgender women are not choosing. There are categories for a reason. They make sense and ensure fairness. … The NCAA has not said anything, and by not saying anything, they are discriminating against cisgender women.”
Watch the full interview here
Another issue that was broached in the interview was the locker room situation with Thomas, who although she has transitioned to being female hormonally and identified as a woman, still has male body parts, according to the report.
“It is definitely uncomfortable and has been expressed to our coach and members of the athletic department that people are uncomfortable with it,” the teammate said. “We were basically told to, ‘suck it up.’”
Lia Thomas has the top seed at the women’s NCAA Championships in the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle.
“I think we’re going to look at the people who are making these decisions and were in charge and kind of laugh at them,” she said. “And then just ask, ‘What were you doing? You had the power to change that and you chose not to. You’re kind of a coward for that.’”
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I do not believe that Lia Thomas has done this to gain an advantage over cis-gendered women, however having grown up as a biological male, she does have an advantage. The advantage is huge, greater than if she had been using anabolic steroids her whole life. The people who run sport have a responsibility to make a proper decision here. Many have suggested a separate competitive category. This might be frowned upon by many, but in our changing world it might be the only fair solution moving forward. Make no mistake, without a fair solution women’s sport as we have known it, will be threatened forever more.
Maybe still just 2 categories – Womens/girls and open. The open category allows any gender. The women/girls category is limited to females that have met more strict criterion that takes into account any advantages that might be due to people who’ve developed to adults as males.
What about the FACT that Lea is not and NEVER will be a woman.
Right, Craig
Lia thomas has had gender confirmation surgery .
This is easily discoverd by looking at her bathing costume or doing a quick Google search.
However this whole comment section sounds more like a lynching than a discussion so what do you care!
It’s already like this. The men’s category has always been open, it’s just basically impossible for women to qualify.
Or maybe 3 categories, Men’s, Women’s and everything else. It doesn’t matter when you transitioned, there is always SOME degree of advantage for transitioned males. I, like all SANE people, know there is an advantage in all of these cases, and why should the women have to look at his pecker in the locker room? Like it or not, HE IS A MAN.
You are 100% correct but don’t let the truth get in the way of a good narrative. Sorry to offend you Lia, but you are a cheat, you know it, & should be ashamed as should the imbeciles who sanctioned this corruption!
Yes Kevin. How he can look in the mirror daily and know what he is Stealing from the teams young women?
The men’s category is open. There. Done. Problem solved. Lia can go there.
Could not win in the men’s category…….this is akin to doping plain and simple. Not a biological woman and never will be……yes by all means live your truth but when you infringe on the truth of the biological women who compete you diminish their truth.
How about the people who run society and participate in social media would stop redefining women as “cisgender” just so men can be excluded in the definition of “woman” ? Please help us safeguard our identity. Our safe spaces depend on this.
Centuries old definition of “woman” depends on your biology
To call a man a “woman” is moronic
They have separate divisions and events for diabled folks…everyone thinks that is Great! Dont hear anyone complaining about THAT do you? Just saying.
This is a great point that I had not thought about. We have para Olympics too!
Of course this guy is doing it to have an unfair advantage. Why would he want to compete at all knowing women feel this way. Get out of women’s sports!
he was lousy as a male swimmer. His heart and lungs are larger, along with everything else, giving him an advantage.
Spot on . Fair is fair. We hear nothing about trans men competing against men. There’s a reason for that. Women’s bodies can’t compete against men. Trans women who have mens bodies should not compete against women. It’s not fair & never will be fair.
Biden and the radical Democrats caused this sham. I can’t wait for them to get destroyed in November and then Lia’s performances will be stripped from all women’s events. I love Lia – but what NCAA enablers have done for women in this scenario is pathetic. NCAA decision makers – you have created an abominable situation!
I swam against someone just like him 18 years ago. That guy couldn’t cut it in his region so he dropped down to mine. I was the number 1 seed that year until that guy dropped down to mine. He cheated his way to a trophy and kicked me out
so basically he beat you and was better regardless lmao…holds no water, he couldnt cut it in his region so he went to yours and crushed you.
I bet Lia could place 1st in the special Olympics too. Go get em tiger. wooo, gosh you’re the greatest. Hey Lia, there’s a 5 yr old girl that takes the other kindergartners snacks away, will you take her snacks away from her, please please. Lia crushed that kid, wow.
You’re darn right it’s insane. The NCAA has no courage at all, I bet they’re worried about a lawsuit that they might lose and cost them some serious dough. Thomas is selfish, self centered and doesn’t care about his female competitors. This whole situation is the craziest thing I ever remember about the great sport of swimming. I could not care less if Thomas wants to be a woman, but swimming against them is so wrong it’s just plain unbelievable. He’s a man wearing a woman’s swim suit.
No she isn’t, she’s a woman competing against other woman.
No. Women’s identity is not yours to give away.
Sierra,Lia is a biological male who experienced puberty as a MALE. She has the bone and muscle, and physical strength of a MAN. If she wants to take female hormones and block the testosterone her testicles are pouring out, fine ; but that doesn’t make her a woman, and it’s not fair for her to compete against biological women.
Straight logic.
You are the definition of insanity!!
To Sierra,
Science doesn’t lie and you can argue that until you’re blue in the face. Doctors, scientists as well as Caitlyn Jenner (Woman Of The Year I might add) have stepped out and said that this is unfair and that changes need to be made to make it more inclusive. Do your own research and stop taking everything at face value. This is an issue for Women’s rights everywhere.
She “identifies” as a woman. Doesn’t mean that she is a woman.
My niece is going through a terrible identity crisis right now…you hit it on the nail with this one statement. Thankyou
I identify as a Mexican, but that doesn’t make me one.
Reply to sierra
Sick n irrational
Lia is a transwoman, not a woman.
Nobody can change their chromosomes.
And yes, I’m allowed to say that – I’m trans myself (ftm).
Lia is a MAN QUACKS LIKE A DUCK IT’S A DUCK,COMMON SENSE
Amen!!
When you call Thomas a woman you have already lost your argument
No, it’s a man claiming to be a woman so they can compete against women because they couldn’t really compete against the other men.
That’s right , couldn’t compete with the men, so chicken out and called his self a women and is gutless
Thomas is still intact
No he is a male wanting to be a female. He will never be a biological female…EVER.
You are completely dilusional….. Biologically speaking He is a man, a dude an Hombre…no in-between. And swimming like in most sports is a Body against body competition. Real Woman are more than a dude with suppressed testosterone.
Look at his shoulders if u think thats a women ur really confused
No, IT is a man with mental problems!!
Nope
Nope. He’s a man pretending to be a woman.
no, hes not. He still has his male parts which makes him a man
He was born as a man and grew up as a man. Physically is a man. One year of suppresive hormon therapy definitely does not change that.
Mentally, he feels to be woman, wants to be seen as a women. Fine with me. But, if he were a real woman, she would feel with his colleague women, see the disadvantage she is creating for them and would not compete. Just swim for fun, or join male category is my verdict. Or do another sport where physical elements do not play a major role : e.g. chess?
Ya look at the shoulders on him. Hes a man and hes gonna win everytime its crap
Look at the ding-a-ling on HIM. It’s a man, baby!
Kinda rubbish when people say science says she’s a man. Yes, there is undoubtedly an unfair advantage, she should not have been allowed to compete in these circumstances – I fully agree with that. But plainly, the current science, agree with it or not, does not agree that she should be called a man. Things, as they tend to be, are rather more complicated than this or that.
Wrong. It’s not complicated all. What he have in between legs?? Frank and beans! Frank and beans!
Political driven science. Theories vs fact. A physical body is a vehicle for the spirit to cross the ocean of life.
Thompson received a male vehicle. His team mates received female vehicles . There are factual not theorized differences.
Those who look to solve their internal problems externally ultimately create more chaos in their journey.
They create suffering by seeking belief system s on the outside rather than truth within.
Suffering comes from seeing real in the unreal, truth in non-truth, permanence in the impermanent and the self in the ego.
Life is short let go of false narratives and seek truth.
Absolutely ridiculous. It’s a sideshow at best and it does do harm to women’s sports. “Suck it up”. Whoever said that should never be allowed to coach again. You never put a woman in an uncomfortable position we have been taught that forever but it appears as far as Lia is concerned all rules go out the window. I hope the NCAA does celebrate the real women at championships. If Lia cared about the sport the only right thing to do is bow out now.
Well said
Agreed. She does little for the fight trans people are fighting for.
What mother or father will let their female child (= daughter!) take part in swimming in the future if this continues?
True its just gonna end up a pool full of trans kids cuz no sane person would want their kid in there putting their everything into something theyll never win. Itll just be trans swim. I feel so sorry for these girls
All the cis women should boycott the meet. Let Lia swim by “her” self. It’s a fake competition as it stands.
Letting her compete as a woman is just so wrong. My heart breaks for the girls that have worked so hard to be where they are on psych sheets and be pushed out of the A final It is wrong,we all know it is wrong. Lia knows it is wrong or at least should
My granddaughter is 9 looking forward to jr.olympics if she is swimming against boys she doesn’t have a chance. Does anyone think this is the only way she could win, because he wasn’t on boys side
I fully expect him to say “just kidding” after his career is over and decide he’s not transgender after all.
Off topic…What’s interesting, at 9 she would probably beat most boys. The difference usually starts around jr high
Well, Thomas was ranked 462 against men, what do you think?
To me that says it all.
It’s a joke
Actually before puberty, she should be able to hold her own against boys of the same age. Once puberty kicks in . . . Well that’s why were in this situation…
She is a huge monster that should compete against men. There should be a weight and length test and no gender specific to the sport.
Greater lung capacity, more oxygen pumped per beat of a larger heart, 20% greater oxygen delivery by a male cardiovascular system vs. female, more bone density with more muscle attachment points on longer bones, more fast-twitch muscle fibers, different angles at the hips for more efficient flutter kicks…
There’s more differences than weight and length. This is WHY there is segregation of the sexes in the sport, and WHY it needs to be upheld.
Isn’t swimming about personal best times. Clearly Lia just wants to win She could still be swimming as the biological male which she is and swim for best times.
She claims that she wants to swim as her authentic self, wait a year and be whoever you want. What bothers me is her inconsideration for the female swimmers
Absolutely!
Knowing you were ranked in the mid 500, as a man, you should be proud of your accomplishments as a “female”…not!
These swimmers are young ladies. That’s something Lia Thomas will never be. As ladies they should not be exposed to the body parts of this biological mutation.
Wait a minute. Lia has male “body parts?”
S(he) still has junk?
That’s a MAN, baby!
Yep. Checked my college anatomy book just to make sure and you’re spot on, my friend.
Bingo!
Was it’s namo
More likely he’s a homo.
That doesn’t doesn’t contribute anything to the conversation, How old are you?
Women have been subjugated by men throughout history and it took decades for them to be free of that. Now, men are subjugating women again through the most insane policies imaginable.
While I support trans people in living their lives, they cannot change their biology and, in the case of trans women cannot expect to be accepted as biological women in sport.
I was a sprinter in the 1980’s and at 17 years old was faster than Evelyn Ashford. If I had transitioned then, I would have made a fortune.
This is your administration in the White House that started this garbage!! The 1% screams the loudest
You seem a bit angry at trans people. Maybe you’re a bit conflicted about your own sexuality.
It just hasn’t hit running yet. Wait till there is a Trans Jamaican. We will be witnessing a true super hero speed then in the women’s division.
The trick is to transition right before competions you see. It’s like legal steroids in the woke society
The madness has hit track & field.
There were two boys who claimed to be women in Connecticut who were winning a lot of competitions.
There’s also “CeCe” Telfer who was in the 300s in his track and field event but is #1 as a “woman.”
You do not support trans people.
You do not support biological humans. We do not want to live in your head, so we are wrong? What’s mind-boggling to me is that trans people like you have no respect for their own bodies and nature, and criticize people who embrace biological reality. I suspect you will not be able to wrap your head around that concept–although a lot of trans people can.
I think it’s appalling that Leah Thomas Should’ve even been considered other women swimming team! Look at her stature next to the other cisgender Women on the swimming team. It is a grossly unfair that this hormonal woman who still has male body parts should even be considered for the swimming meets that she has been in and will continue to be in. As I said it is appalling
He’s not even “hormonally female”. He just suppresses his testosterone and possibly takes some artificial estrogen or something. His levels of testosterone are still roughly 5x higher than any female, and the estrogen does almost nothing after puberty.
Every time I see a photo, the shoulders and entire body frame….and everything else screams man. Growing your hair long, putting on some lipstick, women’s clothing and making the declaration, “I am a woman” doesn’t make you one. I can go out on my deck, jump up on the railing, start chirping, flapping my “wings” and take the leap… It didn’t make me a bird and I did not fly to the trees….I just landed flat on the ground with one broken “wing” . Now, what do you think the ER doctor will say when I tell them but “I am a bird”… What’s wrong with this story????
Dumb analogy, but we get it. The Jolly Green Giant wanted to put on his mom’s heels, and woke society is too afraid to tell him he can’t.
10 bucks says she stays male after the swimin
Why not just have a transgender category? Wil can’t really feel good about his unfair advantage; he’s gotta know there will be a asterisk after his name. History will not look kindly on him. He surely knows this but still chooses to be selfish. PA swimmers need to bring a lawsuit against him, their school, and the NCAA.
A trans category would solve it all. Or two categories – trans women and trans men.
Getting attention isn’t something Trans are use to. Of course he is taking advantage and being coached at 21 to do so. However, this is not the stand most Trans would like to see. Does them a bigger injustice to earning equality.
I’m guessing you haven’t been paying attention to transgender activist demands. Their demands go way beyond allowing men to self-identify into sports. Transgender activists want unfettered access for all men to all women’s safe, sex-segregated spaces.
Look at Lia Thomas being allowed to use the women’s locker room and then expand that to men being allowed into women’s hospital rooms, prison cells, rape crisis centers, nursing home rooms.
That’s what transgender activists want and it appears are going to get because even the extremely powerful and prestigious Ivy League bow down to them.
#cottonceiling is a place to see how even Lesbian dating spaces are not safe from abuse from “transwomen” demanding total “inclusion.”
My daughter told me her lesbian friend, terrified, are forced to sleep with transwomen, who threatened to “cancel” them (make them lose their jobs, tell others their bosses, unis etc they are transphobic) if dont sleep with them. (Cruellest bullying ever).
already happened even in uk where self ID is illegal, men self ID after arrest, put in female jail, terrorize attack women. women young girls attacked in toilets. 1 in 5 women scared to go out but mums in uproar when schools put in unisex loos and pubery started girls so scared to use loos stayed off school. its reducing us to 3rd world
Why don’t the “real” women pretest this and refuse to swim? If you want change you have to unite. Enough with being politically correct and stand up for what is right. Thompson should have to continue swimming with the men because that is what he is. Imagine Lebron James suddenly identifying as a woman. Is he allowed to then compete in the WNBA? Who is making these ridiculous decisions? Stand up for your rights as a woman and stop this nonsense.
Yes- in this insane asylum that is our world., all Lebron would have to do is say he’s now a woman and he would instantly be admitted to the WNBA. Right this very moment a male rapist or child killer need only say “I identify as a woman” when arrested and without any question at all he will instantly be put in with the female population. The women have no say in the matter and are forced to share their living spaces with them.
The latter of your comment is why JK Rowling was put on blast when the Scottish government said they would be trying anyone who identified as female as female. ?????? Let’s endanger female prisoners as well.
Huh? This doesn’t make sense
I think many of us are just scared. I have my own unfairness going on at school and most people just don’t wanna get involved. The woke mobs are absolutely terrifying. It’s difficult to try and reach out to others, you never know where they stand… It’s very Orwellian.
The woke mobs in universities these days remind me of the Chinese Cultural Revolution when students became absolute terrorists destroying the lives of their teachers and relatives.
Look at this brave girl – her identity is disguised even though she’s simply standing up for women’s swimming and for women’s safety, privacy and dignity in their own locker room.
Lebron is a woman!
?
Because the “real” women have been working their tails off for years to be the best that they can, and if they don’t swim now, they never will-soon they will be in the make a living world, with no or less time to devote to sports.
Why would someone like Lebron want to switch to a far less lucrative division. This makes absolutely 0 logical sense. There is very little money in women’s sports.
Yes, and it makes logical sense that “Lia” would switch to competition with women, as he was getting absolutely nowhere competing with men. He can still be a woman without that, that’s where the illogic comes in.
Because the Ivy League has threatened these women.
U Penn told its female swimmers to seek mental health counseling.
And these girls will be penalized in terms of ability to get jobs/ further educations because they will be branded “transphobic” simply for standing up for themselves and the sport they love.
Here in uk a very well known lobbying charity receives millions from taxpayers & 1000 schools unis gov dept police forces etc, lobbies for transpeople, once stood for gays & lesbians but says doesn’t stand for gays or lesbians now unless they agree its ok for transwomen with male bits, to be lesbians etc. so contradicts what gays lesbian & straight people believe – that we are 2 sexes male & female, attraction being to male or female (or both with bi). Activists say anyone who disagrees is to be called a transphobe so people are scared, only the general public & govmt can change things cos individuals are hounded, cancelled. This is why these young ladies have kept quiet, through oppression.
So anyway cis women are not discriminated against by trans women
Sierra it’s obvious you support unfairness. As a woman this is criminal. Trans people should have their own category.
Two categories is enough. Maybe we just have to call them XX and XY.
Unfortunately Lia is built like a man that he still is. This whole transgender thing is becoming a joke. It has gotten totally out of hand in terms of sports and should not exist.
Obviously you do not understand anatomy and biology.
100$ you’re either a high school kid or a trans identifying man.
There is no such thing as a trans woman. Thomas is a man. Period.
That depends on your definition of discrimination. And being labeled “cis” for having biological female anatomy–why is this even needed if not to discriminate?
You are clearly a moron.
Lia is taking advantage of the term, transgender. No matter how badly he wants to be female, he is a male. From birth to the present, he has been male with every advantage a male has over a female, in regard to sports of any kind.
He knows it and he should be ashamed to participate on a women’s swim team.
Why doesn’t Lia Thomas swim in the open mens competition
Because Lia can’t win against male swimmers which she has proven. And now swimming against females she’s at the top spot. I feel so bad for the other swimmers who have lived there whole lives for swimming and now have no chance at winning.
I can’t bring myself to even use female pronouns for Lia. As you said, he couldn’t cut it competing on the men’s team but smoking all the women on the women’s team. So very unfair.
Put him back in a league with men were he belongs and those erase those records, this should not be allowed
It’s too late. Lia already has male musculature and still physically is perceived as a man with a female face. Lia is not only taller but bulkier. If Lia was muscular from birth that would be a different issue. Lia made the change after puberty and should be asterisked. Lia is a physically modified human.
That is not a female face. Strong male facial features with a bit of lipstick and makeup.
With a swim cap on that person looks like any male competitive swimmer.
Men’s and women’s divisions we’re made for a reason. As long as Lia helps Penn win individual and relay races, they could care less.
I am very proud of all the men here sticking up for women’s swimming. I understand the comradarie between men and women in swimming, but truly love the understanding of the difference.
You’re more than welcome. True athletes stick together, regardless of our genders.
She can’t possibly feel good and legit when winning on the women’s team. She went from bottom of the pack on the men’s team to the top on the women’s. In her most private moments, she has to accept her “wins” are unfair and hallow. To not see this would make her a narcissist and a cheater. Too bad all the women she competes against cant walk away and refuse to compete. It is unfortunate that in being politically correct, we discriminate against biological women. Political correctness has gone too far.
Political correctness has gone so far has to have perfectly sane people buy into the lie of feminine pronoun usage when referring to a man. You can’t argue he is a male while calling him a she
If someone actually falls into the crazy choice of your pronouns/identifiers, I question their sanity. Try emailing the White House….they actually ask you what pronouns / identifiers you want them to use. This is true lunacy! I am not buying into it and never will.
I love when sites ask me to self-identify. I always put that I identify as a badminton racket, just because I know that, by their own parameters, they can’t ignore it/me.
You are so right – using female pronouns on a male allows men who claim to be women to say that not letting them swim with women is discriminating against “women.”
Yes, very clever. Machiavellian even.
Exactly. HE is a narcissist and a cheater.
Cleverly an “inclusion teaching” lobbying charity replaced word “sex” with “gender identity” in literature it sends out. Imagine if you change these words, how all laws safeguarding women are changed. Uk law states sex is protected characteristic (male, female) & to provide separate single sex toilets, shelters, prisons, changing rooms & sports for male & female for privacy, dignity & safety & in case of sports, for a level playing field & fairness, to protect womens & girls sports.
men in womens spaces is clearly wrong. what disturbs me most is the displaying of male bits in female locker room. id change in loo, or quit, as would some religious minorities where females are forbidden to go in mixed sex spaces if partially or undressed.
Only 0.008% people have a grc in uk that’s a minute number of people who are “allowed to live as a woman” but “arent a woman” as the law states, havent actually become that sex.
People without a grc are legally the sex they were born as. So people play sport using biology science commonsence.
Interesting to see what archaeologists think when examining skeletons in 1000 yrs.
If you are consider the impact on swimming longer than next week, the shared locker room issue is going to a big problem. Lots of meets where 17 year olds change with 10 & unders, and very few parents are going to be okay with their young kids changing with physically mature members of the opposite sex. It’s also going to have an impact on participation in high school swimming because most people are very much not okay with male and female high school students changing in the same locker room and showering together.
Great point.
My locker rooms when I was swimming competitively in high school and college were one large open space. No one cared about nudity because we were all women.
Same with the locker room at the public pool I swim at now, which is also full of naked children.
If men, no matter if they identified as women or not, came into my public pool locker room, the women would take their children and get out, and probably not use the pool again.
We are so frightened of the nonsensical word “transphobia” that we ignore the elephant in the room – that people can’t change sex and that bad actors will take advantage of laws that allow transgenders to do whatever they want even if it destroys women’s lives.
This is just the start. If this is allowed to continue all records in womens sports will be held by males who transitioned to female. Women will lose scholarships, sponsors and be lucky to make it to the podium.
I identify as the richest person in the world. It’s my right to identify this way but it doesnt make it true.
People are born gay. Just like you are. Just come out now. You will feel better
I agree with the cisgender women. Lia has a right to transition but to allow her, with a biological man’s body, to compete as a woman is just plain unfair. If this continues to be allowed it will mean the end of Women’s Sports and as such will kill the hopes and dreams of many young girls and women. Is this really what we want for our daughters, sisters and women we love. Enough.
I think any one that wants to change their sex is up to them. But as for a male he should not be allowed to compete with the birth given females. Because he can switch back any time he wants to. Only way he should ever be able to compete with females is if he has a complete sexual surgery then and only then could he compete. Most of these transgender wouldn’t go thru with it totally. This is not fair being a male and doing what he is doing. These female swimmers should just not enter any event he does. He is going to win anyways so protest and let him swim by himself. Because he has beaten the female swimmers so bad he had to wait till they caught up with him. And no way in hell should he be able to compete in the Olympics in 2024.
And by complaining anonymously you are sucking it up.
No one is going to take you seriously unless you put a name to the complaint so people can support you.
Your swimming career is already over, biological ladies, if you let this continue, so might as well take real action.
Do you live in the US? Because in the US even a hint of you being “transphobic” i.e., sane, will ruin your life.
What an insane thing that’s happening. Young women are being forced to compete against men, then gaslit into believing they are bigots and hateful people for speaking out against this insanity. Incredibly disrespectful, there will be backlash against trans people the more they keep pushing. It’s one thing to demand respect and decency from people, it’s another to demand that your feelings be allowed to define their reality.
Sex change operations and permanently disfiguring medical procedures are being performed on children who are too young to legally consent to sex or drive a car.
Let’s talk about the old stick of “If you don’t include trans kids, they’ll kill themselves”.
Well doesn’t that just reek of the old line an abusive boyfriend trotted out when you just about had enough of them: “If you break up with me, I’ll just go ahead and kill myself”.
Let’s speak plainly, so much of these policies are implemented and justified with this one liner of emotional blackmail “Better let little boys use the girls locker room or they might kill themselves!” “Better let young teens have sex change operations or they might kill themselves” “You better accept your transgender child, you can have a living daughter or a dead son, remember if you don’t they’ll kill themselves!”
But, like the abusive boyfriend threatening suicide, what if we just said “Ok, I don’t want that, but I’m still breaking up with you.” “Ok, we don’t want that, but we also won’t allow you to use the girls locker room.” “Ok, we don’t want that, but we still won’t allow you to participate in womans sports.”
Etc.
playing pretend doesnt mean you are
She is following the rules set up by the NCAA like all the other women, so good on her. Personal attacks on her are pretty lame and don’t really resolve anything as there is just going to be another transgender swimmer or someone else who is just physically unique in some way. Transgender people are never going away just like gay and lesbian people are never going away, and rightfully so in my mind. Trying to legislate people out of existence has historically not been looked at very kindly by future generations.
As far as rules and regulations go there is always room for adjustment and better equality and equity. Maybe look at transition times and tanner stages in combination with hormones levels and maintained stability at those levels over the course of time.
“Trying to legislate people out of existence has historically not been looked at very kindly by future generations.”
I wasn’t aware that Lia, or any other trans women, would magically cease to exist if not allowed to compete against females.
You are absolutely correct. You cannot legislate someone with XX chromosomes to have XY chromosomes, or vice versa. I fully support the transgender community, as well as transgender rights, but until science finds a way to change a persons chromosomes, they should have to compete with those who have the same chromosomes as them.
What concerns me the most is the University tells the Female athletes to suck it up with them feeling uncomfortable with Lia’s “male” private parts exposed in the locker room. Neither the University or Lia has any respect for the female athletes. Its this how “she” wanted to win by cheating the other athletes out of a fair competition? The fact that Lia has no issues with any of this shows that she really does not care about Women but only herself.
I have no issues if Lia wants to identify as a women, whatever. However her competing against women born as women is unfair. When she was identifying as male she was not ranked well at all, now she’s a top swimmer as female. I mean look at her build and I’m not trying to be mean here but she is built like a man. You can’t go back and change that. She has a HUGE advantage in the women’s category. I do think perhaps a 3rd category might be beneficial to all.
The Women on the team can stop this when they stop cowering to the cancel culture and boycott as many events as it takes; so who are the cowards??!!
Beyond swimming, what’s scary is that Penn is an Ivy League school. Look at institutions, from the Supreme Court, to those who hold the highest, most powerful positions in government. We are facing a future where those in positions to decide things like whether or not the nation goes to war will be made by people who were once too cowardly to publicly say things like a biological male should not be allowed to compete against biological females.
Most if not all the young woman on the swim team with him or on scholarship, if they refuse to compete or share the locker room they would be kicked off the team. There goes there scholarship. These girls love swimming and using their abilities to get a college education.
Transgender wanna be woman have no place in girls locker room 100 % females let your voices be heard speak up against the people that are telling you to
” Suck it up ” continue your fight as Woman
No, no, no.. seeing a woman voluntarily refer to herself as “cisgender” makes me want to scream.
And I’m a dude.
I felt that too
Maybe just have 4 categories now, make, female, paraplegic, and transgender.
I Agree. He Still can swim with the men BECAUSE HE WAS Born A Male…. He can Identify As Whatever He Wants BUT He’s A Male.
Three groups Men’s Women’s and other and other would never have an audience
The rest of the competitors should boycott all events she participates in.
To take it one step further, the fans who don’t agree with the NCAA should also boycott. Competition is all about a level playing field.
Why would lia compete at all on the mens team, (for 3 years!) if she felt totally convinced she is a woman. Mentally and emotionally that would not sit right, Or make sense with a person who really believes they are the opposite sex. I dont think allowing this person to Compete in womens sport is fair. It compares to athletes using steriods and other drugs to enhance their performance and have an edge on everyone else…which of course is illegal. If my daughter was a swimmer I would try to teach her to be kind to this person as a human being but competitive sports are a whole other subject. It is also still Lias choice to do the fair and right thing for so called team mates. The street goes both ways.
This boy can identify as a woman all HE wants. He’s not gonna be one. If this were reversed and a woman identifying as a man was a threat to men in a sport, I can guarantee this would be a different situation. NCAA wants to let HIM swim with girls then let him swim exhibition. No records will be affected, no points made, no medals given.
The fact that this person has to disguise her identity to voice an opinion is as alarming as the rest of the situation. Shameful behavior from the NCAA, Penn and the Ivy league.
Absolutely.
What kind of crazy world do we live in when a woman has to disguise herself to speak honestly about what she and her teammates are going through because the most prestigious universities in the US are putting one man’s feelings over the entirety of women’s swimming.
And also letting him expose himself and get an eyeful of her and her teammates’ bodies in the WOMEN’s locker room.
When is it safe to say, a biological man is a man, and a biological woman is a woman? Have we not learned enough from the UFC? When we watched a man legally beat the F@.#* out of a woman? This woke society we live in where all is fair. F you society. Wake up yourselves. Look at ‘Lia.’ That is no woman by far! It’s a gay dude with a feminine face, and a body that 80% most men don’t have. It’s a joke everytime I see pics of this 6ft monster freak surrounded by actual women. I’d love to be on that board and get canceled for speaking my mind. Allowing this sh!t to happen, is the end of our gd country.
Lia is not gay, he dates women and has intact male genitalia. But he’s allowed to use the women’s locker room.
Wouldn’t that make him a lesbian? I can’t keep track of this stuff anymore.
Categories should be based on biological sex not “gender”. Lia has the body of a biological male..women can not compete fairly against a biological male. Stop the insanity and attack on biological women!
A man is a man and a woman is a woman. It is that simple. There should be no argument here. This world is crumbling all around and you people supporting this are to blame too.
How about change gender competitions to cromosome competitions? One can compete as their make of cromosomes either as a XX or XY.
All anyone needs to do to fully understand this entire situation is to go on YouTube and search, “men vs. women, sports”, where competitions between biological males and females are highlighted. Unlike what’s represented by those advocating transgender inclusion, that, as far as athletics are concerned, biological males and females are very close, they will see videos of things like a lone male soccer player score again and again against an entire female team, or the Swiss national women’s soccer team being soundly beaten by a team of 14 YO boys. Allowing Thomas to compete is patently unfair and wrong.
I believe that Lia Thomad shouldn’t be allowed to compete with cysgender women not because she transgendered but because her male advantage is still present in her. She should accept these differences and be honest with herself and the cysgender women In all swimming teams and withdraw from competing against them. The NCAA must address this situation immediately before it gets totally out of control.
How is it anything other than doping for Lia Thomas to use drugs to qualify to compete?
Common sense
If Lia identifies as a to woman, then why hasn’t the CHEATER had his male parts removed? He is pretending to be a woman and when his swimming career is over he will decide to identify as a man again. POS selfish A hol&. Shane on the regulators of this sport. Politics!!
ridiculous!! that lia doesn’t recognize the unfairness is, I guess her issue, but to make a true impact, she should’ve continued to compete on the men’s swim team and see how she does.
the ncaa is totally wrong on this issue, not just in this sport but all other sports as well. its just a slap in the face to women who have fought for their recognition and rights for decades!!