Lia Thomas is a transgender woman who competes on the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s swim team. She has recently come under scrutiny for competing in her sport, being accused of “destroying women’s sports.”
As more and more criticism for Thomas is shared and broadcasted, we all must take a step back and acknowledge the most important detail: Thomas is a person first. It doesn’t matter if you disagree or agree with her eligibility, she deserves respect and basic human decency.
Lia Thomas is a woman. Lia Thomas uses she/her pronouns. Lia Thomas is valid.
In many broadcasts and written media, reports refer to Thomas as a “biological man.” Transphobia in modern media is alive and very prominent. As outlined in Schuyler Bailar’s Instagram post (@pinkmantaray), an openly transgender swimmer who competed at the NCAA D1 level, biological sex is not binary. Using incorrect terms and pronouns to describe another individual is blatantly transphobic and disrespectful. Trans women are women, and trans girls are girls.
In other arguments against Lia Thomas, there are reports and opinions saying that Thomas doesn’t deserve to compete in women’s swimming, due to the “advantages” that she has due to her time transitioning. However, biological differences don’t always mean that a competition is unfair or provide grounds for disqualification.
Let’s take a look at Michael Phelps: a world-renowned swimmer, the best that the sport has ever seen. According to the Washington Post, Phelps has a disproportionately wide wingspan and double-jointed ankles, which both give him an advantage in the water. Phelps has never come under fire for his biological makeup or differences. This shows that the argument against Thompson’s biological advantages isn’t about overall fairness, it’s about control and transphobia.
The NCAA publication Inclusion of Transgender Student-Athletes states that “transgender athletes should have equal opportunity to participate in sports.” Thomas has met all the requirements needed to compete within the NCAA rules, meaning she has taken testosterone suppressants and estrogen supplements to reduce her testosterone levels to average female levels. Thompson has undergone these treatments for two years, exceeding the NCAA requirement of at least one year.
As of Jan. 24, the NCAA has adjusted their guidelines. Now, transgender women must meet testosterone thresholds upheld by the individual sport’s national governing body, meaning that USA Swimming will re-evaluate their policy. The fate of all transgender athletes competing at the collegiate level comes down to the NCAA re-evaluation, and many like Thomas might not be able to compete in their respective sport.
It’s a difficult topic to understand, especially in the society we all grew up in, and it is okay to struggle with comprehending. But vicious messages and social media posts aren’t expressing opinions and thoughts, they’re outlets for transphobia and hate.