As previously reported by Liberty Nation, Lia Thomas, a transfemale swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, has made waves in and out of the pool. She has been criticized and praised for being a successful athlete as a transgender person. Her fate at the collegiate level was unclear after USA Swimming released new guidelines that threatened her ability to compete in the NCAA Championship. However, after being cleared to swim, she took home first place in the 500-yard freestyle and was a contender in several other events. Her success is undeniably historical, but it may impact the future of trans athletes – positively or negatively.
Taking Home a Title
From the moment Thomas got national attention, predictions came that she would sweep the NCAA Championships. And although she has only taken one title so far, for some, that seems to be enough for the argument that Thomas holds an unfair advantage. For others, the win simply proves her belonging in the sport as a woman.
Lia Thomas (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
She finished at 4:33:24 in the 500-yard freestyle, 1.75 seconds faster than UVA’s Emma Weyant. Thomas, however, did not break an NCAA record, which decorated Olympic medalist Katie Ledecky currently holds. Since the start of the season, Lia’s performances have wavered; she is not killing the competition every time she dives into the water.
She came in fifth in the 200-yard freestyle, an event she broke a school record in earlier this season. She swam a 1:43:40 while Stanford’s Taylor Ruck, who happens to be a Canadian four-time Olympic medalist, will take home the title at 1:41:12.
Jenner Chimes In
Caitlyn Jenner has actively protested Lia Thomas’ presence in women’s sports. Using herself as an example, an Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon, Caitlyn believes transwomen have an unfair advantage in athletics. Thomas’s participation in the championships was up in the air, but the NCAA gave her the green light. Jenner accused the governing body of being “not tough enough” over this decision.
Following Thomas’ win in the 500 free, Jenner claimed she “was taking it easy” to avoid beating Ledecky’s world record. Caitlyn has made it clear she holds no ill will towards Thomas. She acknowledged that she is “playing within the rules.” Still, instead, she blamed these athlete governing bodies, like the NCAA, for permitting the participation of transgender athletes with only “just being on testosterone depressants for a year or two.” She thinks the rules are not strict enough to limit the impact of a transwoman’s experience through male stages of puberty.
Social Media War
There are multiple sides to the placement of transgender women in sports. One particular group, however, feels betrayed: feminists. A group protesting the NCAA swim and dive championship said they have walked away from the Democratic Party and expect many to follow suit.
One activist from “Save Women’s Sports” describes herself as “politically homeless.” She believes the establishment Democrats no longer care about women. Those opposing Lia Thomas’ placement in women’s sports are typically labeled as “conservatives” or “right-wing transphobes.” But here, within Save Women’s Sports, we have a number of liberals – former members of the Democratic Party. This group believes in sex-based rights and that integrating the two genders in public policy is bad for women and will drive feminists out of the party. Some people have shared similar views online.
https://twitter.com/bcscienceiscool/status/1500245019763953664?s=20&t=qAjfTDS10jy1sIv0yxpJwg
One Virginia Tech swimmer took a controversial position regarding Lia Thomas, sharing that the situation is “disappointing to see and frustrating.” Most female swimmers and athletes, in general, have remained silent or shared validation for Thomas throughout the season.
Thomas has plenty of support online as well. One point of argument for pro-Lia Americans is a reference to Michael Phelps. Some argue that his genetics put him at an advantage over other men, yet he was allowed to compete. Others bring the stats, comparing Lia’s times to other winning times.
Looking Ahead
The future of transwomen in female sports is blurry. Some have called for biological female athletes to refuse to enter the pool or run on the field until transwomen are banned or placed under stricter guidelines. But a homogeneous action of that kind is improbable. USA Swimming laid down its own rules, and the NCAA has decided to follow them along with all regulations put out by national/international sports governing bodies. In this case, each sport could have different requirements and rules of participation for transwomen.
~ Read more from Keelin Ferris.
