Penn Swimming Parents Write Letter to NCAA Against Lia Thomas’ Participation in Women’s Events

lia-thomas, transgender, penn swimming, ncaa

Penn Swimming Parents Write Letter to NCAA Against Lia Thomas’ Participation in Women’s Events

The controversy regarding Lia Thomas racing as a female in college swimming competition continues as parents of Thomas’ University of Pennsylvania teammates have written a letter to the NCAA (and also sent to Ivy League and university officials) arguing that Thomas should not be allowed to compete. According to DailyMail.com, the group of parents expressed concern about a precedent where women do not have a “protected and equitable place to compete.”

“At stake here is the integrity of women’s sports,” the letter said, according to DailyMail.com. “The precedent being set — one in which women do not have a protected and equitable space to compete — is a direct threat to female athletes in every sport. What are the boundaries? How is this in line with the NCAA’s commitment to providing a fair environment for student-athletes?

‘It is the responsibility of the NCAA to address the matter with an official statement. As the governing body, it is unfair and irresponsible to leave the onus on Lia, Lia’s teammates, Lia’s coaches, UPenn athletics and the Ivy League.”

The letter was sent to the NCAA December 5, just after Thomas made headlines at the Zippy Invitational by swimming the top times in the nation in the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle. Thomas competing in women’s races just a few years after transitioning has led to controversy, and there have been numerous opinions about whether she should be allowed in women’s races. She has undergone required hormone therapy, but many believe that since she underwent male puberty, she has inherent advantages over her female competitors.

The NCAA has not responded to the Penn parents’ letter, but the university did issue a comment that expressed support for all swimmers and doubled down on its support for inclusion.

The university sent a terse response to the parents, claiming the school is doing what it can to help the student-athletes navigate Lia’s success, shared a link to mental health services.

“Please know that we fully support all our swimming student-athletes and want to help our community navigate Lia’s success in the pool this winter,” the university said in its reply, according to DailyMail.com. “Penn Athletics is committed to being a welcoming and inclusive environment for all our student-athletes, coaches and staff and we hold true to that commitment today and in the future.”

Read the full report from DailyMail.com here.

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Miguel

2 years ago

Soy ex nadador y no estoy de acuerdo con que una mujer transgénero, compita con nacidas mujeres. Mi posición radica en lo fisiológico. Si revisan los récords FINA, verán la diferencia en los tiempos. Una vez hice ese ejercicio en los 50 metros líbres en piscina larga. Si esto se permitiera la mujer más rápida bajaría al puesto 200! Es decir desaparecería la presencia de las nacidas mujeres. Serían dos categorías, hombres y mujeres transgénero. Lo ideal sería una tercera categoría transgénero y que compitan entre ellas.

HECTOR

2 years ago

Reply to Miguel

I agree! completamente de acuerdo contigo

Anonymous

2 years ago

ARE YOU ALL GOING CRAZY. THERE ARE ALL THE WOMAN SWIMMING ATHLETES WHY ARE THIER NOT SPEAKING OUT FOR ALL THE GRIL THAT CAN NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS . I DO NOT THINK IF THEY HAD TO RACE AGAINST A MAN THAT THEY WOULD NOT SPEAK OUT . AMERICAN GRIL NEED YOUR SUPPORT. BIOLOGY DOES NOT LIE .

Mike Knight

2 years ago

A biological male with 20 years of natural testosterone (with all the resulting size, bone and muscle strength, etc.) who swam for the University of Pennsylvania “men’s” swim team for years, takes some sort of testosterone blocker for 1 year, and suddenly is allowed to compete on the women’s team??!! The transgender demonstrably do not have the chromosomes or anatomy of the gender they identify with. They do not have a constitutional right to force society to accept their delusion as reality. Gender dysphoria is a mental health disorder that should be treated, not applauded.

Veritas

2 years ago

Reply to Mike Knight

Look at the press release. At Penn, you need mental health counseling if you think Lia Thomas should not be on the women’s team. The Soviet Union used to send political dissidents to psychiatric hospitals. And now Penn, which is supposed to be an institution of higher education is following the lead of the USSR. Swimming World Magazine is, of course, following the lead of Big Brother by sending every post it doesn’t like on the subject down the memory hole.

Penn and Swimming World Magazine are doing this because they can’t win this debate on the merits and need to suppress the truth.

Veritas

2 years ago

Reply to Mike Knight

Screen shot your post, Dave. They are going to delete it because you called gender dysphoria a mental illness, and that is double ungood to the ideologues that run this site. Be thankful you’re not at Penn and getting a degree depends on repeating falsehoods.

Veritas

2 years ago

Penn and Swimming World Magazine are doing this because they can’t win this debate on the merits and need to suppress the truth.

Anonymous

2 years ago

As the mother of a female NCAA athlete I do have a problem with this. I am not against a person living the life they feel they were intended. However the genetic make up is different. There is a reason for male and female sports. Not only does it give advantages to the athlete but it takes away scholarship opportunities from other female athletes.

Paul zmason

2 years ago

It takes a special kind of narcissist to transition just to win swim meets and get publicity. It takes an amazing, idiotic need to virtue signal to to take this as anything more than the pathetic publicity stunt it is.

Anonymous

2 years ago

As a former NCAA div I athlete; this scenario is impossible to digest and imagine going thru as the biological females competing against Lia. Has anyone thought to protect them? Their years of hard work, countless pool and weight room hours; all the sacrifices as teens to be able to compete at the collegiate level …

I am quite frankly shocked the NCAA doesn’t have a better guideline on this – science based would go a long way (what are the number of years necessary of testosterone suppression to create a fair playing field for all females; a fairness to include trans women and their wish to compete? The competition must be or mimic the same at the Biological level- I’m certain trans women will be the first to be on board with this!

2 years ago

It isn’t fair to all female swimmers. It is not. If Penn administrators and coaches do nothing about this UNFAIR situation, all that is left for the Penn swimmers is the transfer portal. They should all use it, and see how great the Penn swim team is then.

Monica Young

2 years ago

Wait a minute…this reminds me vaguely of East Germany.

Anonymous

2 years ago

As the grandfather of a girl swimmer, I can’t believe anyone would allow this . My granddaughter is a great swimmer, but sure the boys can beat her. If a boy pretending to be a girl (and can beat the girls) he must be so proud of themself.