Social media exploded with criticism on Friday after the University of Pennsylvania nominated transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who is biologically male and self-identifies as a woman, for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
Thomas, 22, competed on the men’s team at the University of Pennsylvania before identifying as female in 2019 and taking testosterone blockers and estrogen. The swimmer started competing on the women’s team in 2021, and quickly cleaned up at the NCAA Division I national championship, taking the women’s 500-yard freestyle event this March.
“It isn’t ‘inclusion’ that leads the Ivy League to pull stunts like this,” “Irreversible Damage” author Abigail Shrier commented. “It’s misogyny – and utter contempt for the truth.”
It isn't 'inclusion' that leads the Ivy League to pull stunts like this.
It's misogyny – and utter contempt for the truth.https://t.co/AcxZ8WWWD4
— Abigail Shrier (@AbigailShrier) July 16, 2022
Academia speaks! https://t.co/HosqchG0Sm
— Mike (@Doranimated) July 15, 2022
“EVERY WOMAN IN THE NCAA MUST BOYCOTT,” writer Kimberly Morin charged. “They are pushing for MEN to ERASE WOMEN. If you allow it, they will continue and you will reap what you sow and you will AID in the DESTRUCTION of women’s sports.”
EVERY WOMAN IN THE NCAA MUST BOYCOTT. They are pushing for MEN to ERASE WOMEN. If you allow it, they will continue and you will reap what you sow and you will AID in the DESTRUCTION of women's sports https://t.co/oE9GrB7XRn
— Kimberly Morin (@Conservativeind) July 16, 2022
Radio host Dom Giordano remarked, “They won’t ease up.”
They won't ease up. https://t.co/FhGIEgXASc
— Dom Giordano (@DomShow1210) July 15, 2022
“The patriarchy strikes again,” another Twitter user said.
The patriarchy strikes again. https://t.co/f7iao1EoMj
— 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐠 (@CasuallyGreg) July 15, 2022
“In a direct attack on its female athletes, UPenn suggests transgendered person as NCAA Woman of the Year Award,” Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton said.
In a direct attack on its female athletes, UPenn suggests transgendered person as NCAA Woman of the Year Award. https://t.co/WlIcVXFXbv
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) July 15, 2022
“As a woman who was born a woman at birth and had to fight against a lot of bulls*** for 33 years to get where I am in my career. This PISSES me off,” Brielle Ann commented.
Vanessa Santos mocked, “Seems fair.”
Seems fair https://t.co/kVQNXYwDp3
— Vanessa Santos (@Vanessasantosxo) July 15, 2022
Some teammates have spoken out over the inclusion of Thomas, due to advantages the athlete has as a biological male.
One UPenn female swimmer, who remained anonymous out of fear of retribution, told bestselling author and podcast host Matt Walsh in The Daily Wire’s groundbreaking documentary “What Is a Woman?” that even basic concerns about the locker room were not allowed to be brought up. If they were, she said, it was clear you’d be smeared as “transphobic.”
Notably, Thomas still has a penis and has not had surgery to remove it and dates females, according to teammates.
“If you even brought up concerns about it, you were ‘transphobic,’” she told Walsh.
“If you even bring up the fact that Lia’s swimming might not be fair, you’re immediately shut down and called a hateful person, or transphobic,” she continued.