Lia Thomas, the trans swimmer who just graduated from UPenn, spoke out in a long-form interview for the very first time. There appear to be two interviews, both exclusive to ESPN/ABC (ABC is owned by ESPN). The ESPN interview was conducted by a trans person and the ABC interview was conducted by Katie Barnes, a natural woman. Each interview’s full (or at least, edited) version is available online.
The focus of the ABC interview was the clear elephant in the room which is the impact of a transgender swimmer being involved in women’s sports. They also touched on Lia Thomas’ life prior to becoming Lia when “he” was known as William. Lia Thomas competed for three years as William on the men’s team. William was not a very good swimmer. During these years, Thomas never accomplished anything noteworthy at all. At least, not on the swim team. When William became Lia, however… this all changed. Lia became dominant on the women’s team, shattering records and winning NCAA records.
Lia Thomas came off as very selfish during the interview. Many girls have written letters to the NCAA complaining about Lia Thomas’s involvement with the sport. They are not transphobic or anything of the sort. These girls simply want fairness. They cannot truly compete on an even playing field against a biological male. Lia Thomas essentially dismissed these complaints by saying these girls cannot support Lia’s right to be transgender but not support them in the pool. This is a ridiculous thing to say because while everyone should be free to express themselves how they see fit, it is not OK to infringe upon someone else’s rights.
SOURCES:
Former Penn swimmer Lia Thomas has Olympic goals, says trans women ‘not a threat to women’s sports’ | Fox News
Former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas responds to critics: ‘Trans women competing in women’s sports does not threaten women’s sports’
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas says she didn’t transition to gain advantage in college sport
Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas Aims for 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas speaks out about backlash, future plans to compete – ABC News
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