Former ESPN host Keith Olbermann clashed with Riley Gaines this week following the University of Pennsylvania’s decision to strip trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas of his program records.
Olbermann called Gaines “whiny” in an X post on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights announced its agreement with UPenn.
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Wanted to congratulate Whiny Gaines on now being able to say she finished tied for FOURTH not tied for FIFTH in the Lia Thomas race (<a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Riley_Gaines_</a>)
&mdash; Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/1940215159034941516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Wanted to congratulate Whiny Gaines on now being able to say she finished tied for FOURTH not tied for FIFTH in the Lia Thomas race,” he wrote.
Thomas, who is biologically male, was the first trans-identifying swimmer to win an NCAA Division I title, setting multiple school records and tying for fifth place with Gaines in the 200-yard freestyle event at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women&#8217;s Swimming and Diving Championships. Since then, Gaines has actively spoken against biological men competing in women’s sports.
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“Thank you!” Gaines shot back in a reply to Olbermann. “And while you’re keeping track, make sure to congratulate Emma Weyant, the right National Champ in the 500 freestyle, too.”
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Thank you! And while you’re keeping track, make sure to congratulate Emma Weyant, the right National Champ in the 500 freestyle, too. 
(If you&#39;re insinuating 5th in the nation is bad, what do you call a man who ranks 462nd nationally in the men&#39;s category?) <a href="https://t.co/liCRPraFQD">https://t.co/liCRPraFQD</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1940224425485537588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Emma Weyant finished in second place behind Thomas in the 500 freestyle at the 2022 NCAA swimming championship.
She added, “If you&#8217;re insinuating 5th in the nation is bad, what do you call a man who ranks 462nd nationally in the men&#8217;s category?”
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning men from competing in women’s sports. The NCAA updated its gender eligibility policies in compliance with the administration.
UPenn President J. Larry Jameson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/riley-gaines-clashes-keith-olbermann-after-upenn-strips-lia-thomas-program-records?intcmp=tw_fnc&amp;taid=686554021cab570001444d27&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">said</a> the university plans to “fully comply” with both Title IX and the NCAA’s new policies.
“The University will not – on the basis of sex – exclude female students from participation in, deny female students the benefits of, or subject female students to discrimination under, any athletics programs,” Jameson said. “In addition, in providing to female student-athletes intimate facilities such as locker rooms and bathrooms in connection with Penn Athletics, such facilities shall be strictly separated on the basis of sex and comparably provided to each sex.”

Photo courtesy of Riley Gaines

Riley Gaines Fires Back After Ex-ESPN Host Mocks Her Advocacy For Women

Keith Olbermann

Lia Thomas

Politics

Riley Gaines

Social Issues

Transgender Athletes

University of Pennsylvania

Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines thanked President Donald Trump for defending women in sports and for bringing about a deal that resulted in the University of Pennsylvania apologizing for the damage wrought by its decision to allow a trans-identifying male swimmer to compete as a member of its women&#8217;s team.
The agreement also saw Lia (formerly William) Thomas stripped of medals and the records returned to the women who had rightfully earned them — including Gaines, who famously tied with Thomas for fifth place in the 200 freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Championships.
&#8220;UPenn has agreed to right its wrongs, restore records to the rightful female athletes, and issue an apology to the women impacted by the man they allowed to compete as a woman. Are pigs flying? God bless @realDonaldTrump,&#8221; Gaines wrote in a post on X.
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UPenn has agreed to right its wrongs, restore records to the rightful female athletes, and issue an apology to the women impacted by the man they allowed to compete as a woman.
Are pigs flying?
God bless <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>. <a href="https://t.co/PZxcieyp7m">pic.twitter.com/PZxcieyp7m</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1940187628021694922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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But even as Gaines was thanking Trump for his administration&#8217;s efforts to protect women in athletics, others were pointing out the fact that if Gaines herself had not been one of the first to take a stand — to protect herself and other women and girls — that the result she saw on Tuesday might never have been realized.
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&#8220;UPenn caves after federal investigation into Lia Thomas, and will now enforce Trump’s mandate to BAN men from women’s sports. This is a major win for women everywhere. And it wouldn’t have happened without Riley Gaines. She fought hard and now the tide is turning,&#8221; conservative podcast host Benny Johnson posted.
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UPenn caves after federal investigation into Lia Thomas, and will now enforce Trump’s mandate to BAN men from women’s sports.
This is a major win for women everywhere. And it wouldn’t have happened without Riley Gaines. She fought hard and now the tide is turning. 👊🏻🔥 <a href="https://t.co/rlkgdvIWEz">pic.twitter.com/rlkgdvIWEz</a>
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1940165174364876875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Paula Scanlan, a teammate of Thomas&#8217; at UPenn, spoke out even after being told by school officials to simply shut up and swim. She credits Gaines with helping her to take a stand.
&#8220;I wanted to take a quick moment to thank @Riley_Gaines_. She’s become the teammate I wish I had in college. I was silenced, bullied and unsupported by my teammates and my university. Today and everyday, I’m grateful for our friendship and how much she’s helped me grow,&#8221; Scanlan posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I wanted to take a quick moment to thank <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Riley_Gaines_</a>
She’s become the teammate I wish I had in college. I was silenced, bullied and unsupported by my teammates and my university.
Today and everyday, I’m grateful for our friendship and how much she’s helped me grow ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/u1RljDLuue">pic.twitter.com/u1RljDLuue</a>
— Paula Scanlan (@PaulaYScanlan) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulaYScanlan/status/1940217285819691464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former champion gymnast and XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey added, &#8220;UPenn rescinded all of the accolades given to Will Thomas because we have FREEDOM OF SPEECH in the US. @PaulaYScanlan @Riley_Gaines_ @xx_xyathletics and many others spoke out about the injustice. It made a difference in the end. Happy independence day (sic)!&#8221;
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UPenn rescinded all of the accolades given to Will Thomas because we have FREEDOM OF SPEECH in the US. <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulaYScanlan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PaulaYScanlan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Riley_Gaines_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/xx_xyathletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@xx_xyathletics</a> and many others spoke out about the injustice.
It made a difference in the end.
Happy independence day! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/tqpOu7dzsO">pic.twitter.com/tqpOu7dzsO</a>
— Jennifer Sey (@JenniferSey) <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferSey/status/1940417391495684602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It’s wild that there is a percentage of people brainwashed by their religion (liberalism) to believe it’s &#8216;evil&#8217; to stop people w/ testicles from violating women &amp; dominating their sports. Anyway, shoutout @Riley_Gaines_ for trailblazing on this issue when it was unpopular,&#8221; Jason Howerton added.
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It’s wild that there is a percentage of people brainwashed by their religion (liberalism) to believe it’s “evil” to stop people w/ testicles from violating women &amp; dominating their sports.
Anyway, shoutout <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Riley_Gaines_</a> for trailblazing on this issue when it was unpopular <a href="https://t.co/8eu3d4q3mC">pic.twitter.com/8eu3d4q3mC</a>
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) <a href="https://twitter.com/jason_howerton/status/1940233088011051510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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NCAA SWIMMING: MAR 18 Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships

‘Are Pigs Flying?’: Riley Gaines Praises Trump As UPenn Strips Records From Trans Swimmer

‘Are Pigs Flying?’: Riley Gaines Praises Trump As UPenn Strips Records, Titles From Trans Swimmer

Donald Trump

Executive

NCAA

Women's sports

Women's Swimming

WASHINGTON—The White House has struck a deal with the University of Pennsylvania that requires the school to strip trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas of the titles he won on the women&#8217;s team, The Daily Wire has learned.
The University of Pennsylvania will restore all titles to female athletes that were &#8220;misappropriated&#8221; by male athletes, according to a landmark agreement between the Trump administration and the University of Pennsylvania, a White House official shared with The Daily Wire.
Thomas competed as a female swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, infamously tying with University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines in 2022 at the NCAAs and taking her trophy — prompting Gaines to take a stand against men in women&#8217;s sports.
&#8220;President Trump has been one of the strongest and most consistent champions for protecting women’s sports,&#8221; the White House official shared. &#8220;Under his leadership, the administration has taken decisive action — through executive orders, public messaging, and policy initiatives — to affirm a simple truth: men do not belong in women’s sports.&#8221;
&#8220;In stark contrast, the University of Pennsylvania has repeatedly violated the spirit and letter of Title IX by allowing biological males to compete in women’s athletic programs — undermining decades of progress and the hard-earned achievements of female athletes,&#8221; the official added.
Under the new agreement, the school is promising to comply with Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funding.
The University of Pennsylvania will not allow males to compete in female sports or use female &#8220;intimate facilities&#8221; and will adopt &#8220;biology-based definitions&#8221; for &#8220;male&#8221; and &#8220;female&#8221; that comply with Trump&#8217;s executive orders on the issue.
The school will also send a &#8220;personalized letter of apology to each impacted female swimmer,&#8221; according to the agreement.
Gaines is one of the female athletes who could receive a letter. She spoke at a White House event on Thursday celebrating the agreement, along with several other female athletes who competed with trans-identifying males.
Shortly after Trump took office, the NCAA, which governs sports for more than half a million college athletes, <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/2/6/media-center-ncaa-announces-transgender-student-athlete-participation-policy-change.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed</a> its transgender athlete policy to “limit competition in women’s sports to student-athletes assigned female at birth only.”
However, the Trump administration continues to pressure several blue states that still allow trans-identifying males in women&#8217;s sports.
Last week, the Department of Education <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/department-of-education-says-california-violated-title-ix-threatens-legal-action">announced</a> that California was officially in violation of Title IX because the state allows men to compete in women’s sports. The administration gave California 10 days to comply or face losing federal funds.

UPenn Agrees To Strip Medals From Lia Thomas As Part Of Sweeping White House Deal

White House Forces UPenn To Strip Lia Thomas' Medals He Won On Women's Team

The Trump administration demanded on Tuesday that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ncaa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NCAA</a> strip the records and awards of the male athletes who competed in female sports at the collegiate and high school levels because of their transgender identity.
The Department of Education wrote a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) demanding that they take action to restore the awards, records, and titles that female athletes would have won had they not been displaced by male athletes who identified as female.
“The NCAA and NFHS should also immediately act to rectify the injustices that female athletes across the nation endured during the years that NCAA and NFHS policies promoted and facilitated men competing on women’s teams,” Deputy General Council Candice Jackson wrote.
The letter, written to NCAA President Charlie Baker and NFHS President Bob Lombardi, said that the Education Department would be enforcing Title IX to “hold educational institutions accountable for depriving female athletes of the awards, records, points, prizes, titles, trophies, announcements or other recognition assigned in favor of male athletes who were allowed to compete in female sports.”
This would mean stripping male athletes who identified as female, like University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who won the women’s NCAA Division 1 championship in the 500-yard freestyle, of their accolades.
“Whether the number of records in women’s events attributed to men is 1 or 1 million, every official record of women’s performances must accurately reflect the achievements of female athletes, not of male ones,” Jackson wrote.
Riley Gaines, who competed against Thomas, and shared a fifth place result with him at the women’s 200-meter NCAA championships back in 2022, praised the Education Department.
“Restoring stolen athletic accolades to their rightful owners is a crucial step towards reinstating accountability, integrity, and common sense – one that I wholeheartedly support,” she said.
The letter also pointed to an executive order from President Donald Trump that strips funding from schools that force female athletes to compete with males and instructs the Education Department to enforce Title IX against schools that allow trans-identifying males in women’s sports or force girls to share locker rooms with males. One day later, the NCAA <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ncaa-backs-down-changes-transgender-athlete-policy-after-trump-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed its policy</a> to keep sports segregated by sex.
“While NCAA has amended its policy to state that a male may not compete for a women’s team, officially correcting the records is another critical step in rectifying the miscarriage of justice against female athletes allowed under the Biden Administration and giving female athletes the recognition they rightfully earned,” Senior Advisor for the Office of Communication in the Department of Education Julie Hartman told The Daily Wire.

Trump Admin Tells NCAA To Strip Records Of Male Athletes Who Competed In Women’s Sports

College sports

Department of Education

Swimming

Trump Administration

Three former University of Pennsylvania women’s swimmers have filed a lawsuit over biological males being allowed to use female locker rooms and participate in their competitions.
The students, who have since graduated, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday against their university, Harvard University, the Ivy League Council of Presidents, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The lawsuit is based on their experience with teammate Lia Thomas, a former male swimmer who started identifying as a woman and dominating female competitions.
The lawsuit, filed by Grace Estabrook, Margo Kaczorowski, and Ellen Holmquist, with <a href="https://iconswomen.com/take-on-the-ivy-league/">support</a> from the Independent Council on Women&#8217;s Sports (ICONS), was <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/former-lia-thomas-teammates-sue-ivy-league-ncaa-alleging-aggressive-push-pro-trans-ideology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provided exclusively</a> to Fox News and has been reviewed by The Daily Wire. The women are seeking damages for “pain and suffering, mental and emotional distress, suffering and anxiety, expenses costs” and more for the institutions allowing Thomas and other trans-identifying men into women&#8217;s spaces and competitions, which they say violated their rights under Title IX. Title IX is a federal statute that prohibits discrimination based on sex, and was initially created to ensure women have equal opportunities for sports.
But over the past decade, schools have allowed biological men to self-identify into women’s sports, taking <a href="https://kfoxtv.com/news/nation-world/un-study-reveals-transgender-athletes-have-won-nearly-900-medals-in-womens-competitions-united-nations-sports-lgbt-gender-identity-title-ix-athletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundreds of medals</a> from women.
The three women now suing have argued that being forced to change clothes in front of Thomas, who still has male genitalia, left them “repeatedly emotionally traumatized.” It can take around 30 minutes for a competitive swimmer to get into their skintight swimsuits, meaning the women had to spend at least that much time in a vulnerable position in front of a biological man, who was also changing.
&#8220;The UPenn administrators told the women that if anyone was struggling with accepting Thomas’s participation on the UPenn Women’s team, they should seek counseling and support from [UPenn’s student wellness center] and the LBGTQ center,” the lawsuit says.
&#8220;The administrators also invited the women to a talk titled, ‘Trans 101.’ Thus, the women were led to understand that UPenn’s position was that if a woman on the team had any problem with a trans-identifying male being on her team that woman had a psychological problem and needed counseling,” the lawsuit added.
The former swimmers also allege that the administrators told them not to publicly speak out about the situation, or risk consequences.
&#8220;The UPenn administrators went on to tell the women that if the women spoke publicly about their concerns about Thomas’ participation on the Women’s Team, the reputation of those complaining about Thomas being on the team would be tainted with transphobia for the rest of their lives and they would probably never be able to get a job,’&#8221; the lawsuit says.
The women are suing Harvard as well as UPenn because Harvard hosted the NCAA women’s championship, where Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, and 400-yard freestyle relay as a senior.
Thomas has continued to fight to be allowed to compete against biological women, even attempting to be allowed to compete in elite women’s races post-college, but a legal challenge was denied last year, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lia-thomas-loses-legal-battle-over-rules-preventing-trans-identifying-swimmers-from-competing-in-elite-womens-races" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On Wednesday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-trump-to-sign-executive-to-keep-men-out-of-womens-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed an executive order</a> to keep biological men out of women’s sports.

2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship

Former UPenn Women’s Swimmers Suing School, NCAA For Allowing Biological Men In Women’s Sports

Former UPenn Women’s Swimmers Suing School, NCAA For Allowing Biological Men In Women's Sports

Courts

Lawsuit

Title IX

Transgender

transgender athlete

Transgenders

U.S.

Former collegiate swimmer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/riley-gaines">Riley Gaines</a> reacted to the news that trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas lost his challenge to compete in the Olympics in women’s swimming events.
In a post on Wednesday on <a href="https://x.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1800949740739457262">X</a>, Gaines reposted a <a href="https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/transgender-swimmer-lia-thomas-loses-163220668.html">Yahoo Sports</a> headline that read, “Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas loses legal challenge in CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] ruling.” 
&#8221; The CAS panel found that &#8216;for the time being&#8217; she is not eligible to compete in elite competitions through World Aquatics or USA Swimming, so the policy does not apply to her,&#8221; the outlet reported.
&#8220;[Thomas] is currently only entitled to compete in USA Swimming events that do not qualify as &#8216;Elite Events,'&#8221; according to the arbitral award.
“Great news! Lia Thomas won&#8217;t be able to compete in women&#8217;s category at the Olympics or any other elite competition,” Gaines wrote to her one million followers. 
“He has just lost his legal battle in Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling,” she added, calling it a “victory for women and girls everywhere.”
The post has since gone viral with more than 1.3 million views at the time of this publication.
<a href="https://x.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1800972945462002008">Gaines</a> later called on the NCAA to “strip him [Thomas]of every award, title, and record he stole from a deserving female athlete.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Great news! Lia Thomas won&#8217;t be able to compete in women&#8217;s category at the Olympics or any other elite competition.
He has just lost his legal battle in Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling.
This is a victory for women and girls everywhere<a href="https://t.co/fEZc47K0FA">https://t.co/fEZc47K0FA</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1800949740739457262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
The former swimmer wasn’t the only one <a href="https://twitchy.com/artistangie/2024/06/12/lia-thomas-loses-court-battle-against-world-aquatics-n2397226">reacting</a> to the news, with many taking to social media to celebrate the decision.
“Common sense for the win,” one person wrote.
Another added, “Do I agree with biology? Yes, yes I do.”
In a statement about the decision, World Aquatics called it &#8220;a major step forward in our efforts to protect women&#8217;s sport.&#8221;
&#8220;World Aquatics is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes fairness, respect, and equal opportunities for athletes of all genders and we reaffirm this pledge,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Our policies and practices are continuously evaluated to ensure they align with these core values, which led to the introduction of our open category.”
&#8220;We remain committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to uphold the principles of inclusivity in aquatic sports and remain confident that our gender inclusion policy represents a fair approach,” the statement concluded.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/riley-gaines-says-biden-has-abolished-title-ix-breaks-down-what-this-means-for-women">Gaines</a>, a former University of Kentucky swimmer, has become a vocal advocate for women’s rights in sports and has faced backlash for speaking out against biological males competing against females.
The former swimmer made headlines when she talked about how unfair it was having to swim against Thomas in 2022 and how uncomfortable it was changing in the locker room with Thomas.

Riley Gaines Reacts To Lia Thomas Losing Challenge To Compete In Women’s Olympic

Olympics

Sports

Trans-identifying swimmer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lia-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lia Thomas</a> lost his legal challenge over rules that prevent transgender swimmers from competing in elite women&#8217;s races, including the Olympics.
Thomas mounted the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lia-thomas-seeking-legal-avenues-to-overturn-regulations-on-male-swimmers-competing-with-women-has-eyes-set-on-olympics-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal challenge</a> against World Aquatics earlier this year, reportedly with his eyes set on competing against women in the Olympics, but in a ruling released Wednesday, the Court for Arbitration of Sport dismissed Thomas&#8217; request for arbitration, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/lia-thomas-olympics-dreams-dashed-after-legal-challenge-world-aquatics-transgender-policy-fails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. World Aquatics, which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee, banned male swimmers from competing in women&#8217;s swimming in 2022, creating an &#8220;open&#8221; category for trans swimmers.
&#8220;The panel concludes that [Thomas] lacks standing to challenge the policy and the operational requirements in the framework of the present proceeding,&#8221; the court said.
According to the ruling, USA Swimming granted Thomas&#8217; request for &#8220;self-identity verification,&#8221; but the judges said USA Swimming had no authority to grant Thomas that request and &#8220;modify such scope of application” of the world governing body’s rules, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/swimming-transgender-rules-lia-thomas-8a626b5e7f7eafe5088b643c4d804c56" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
World Aquatics said the court&#8217;s decision &#8220;is a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sport.”
“World Aquatics is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes fairness, respect, and equal opportunities for athletes of all genders and we reaffirm this pledge,” the governing body added. &#8220;Our policies and practices are continuously evaluated to ensure they align with these core values, which led to the introduction of our open category. We remain committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to uphold the principles of inclusivity in aquatic sports and remain confident that our gender inclusion policy represents a fair approach.&#8221;
Thomas, a former UPenn swimmer, was cast into the spotlight in 2022 after winning the NCAA Division 1 championship in the 500-yard freestyle. Shortly after his championship, Thomas told &#8220;Good Morning America,&#8221; &#8220;It’s been a goal of mine to swim at Olympic trials for a very long time, and I would love to see that through.&#8221;
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The court&#8217;s dismissal of Thomas&#8217; challenge comes just a few days before the U.S. Olympic swimming team trials <a href="https://www.usaswimming.org/about-usas/resources/trials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kick off</a> in Indianapolis. The 2024 Summer Olympics begin on July 26 in Paris.

Lia Thomas Loses Legal Battle Over Rules Preventing Trans-Identifying Swimmers From Competing In Elite Women’s Races

Lia Thomas Loses Legal Battle Over Rules Preventing Trans-Identifying Swimmers From Competing In Elite Women's Races

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/riley-gaines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines</a> and over a dozen other female athletes filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the NCAA over its policies that allow men to compete in women’s sports.
Gaines, a former swimmer with the University of Kentucky, and other female athletes say that the NCAA’s policies allowing men to compete in women’s sports violate their privacy and has cost them opportunities. Gaines <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-left-there-with-no-trophy-ncaa-female-swimmer-who-tied-for-fifth-with-trans-athlete-says-officials-put-lia-thomas-ahead-of-her" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was forced</a> to compete against Lia Thomas, a man who identifies as a woman, at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Championships for swimming. Gaines was also forced to share a locker room with Thomas where he undressed in front of multiple women.
“The NCAA has simultaneously imposed a radical anti-woman agenda on college sports, reinterpreting Title IX to define women as a testosterone level, permitting men to compete on women’s teams, and destroying female safe spaces in women’s locker rooms by authorizing naked men possessing full male genitalia to disrobe in front of non-consenting college women and creating situations in which unwilling female college athletes unwittingly or reluctantly expose their naked or partially clad bodies to males, subjecting women to a loss of their constitutional right to bodily privacy,” the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/16CIcxSu2DvL1uPYfY8DcLWy90klGRK74/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> says.
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🚨it&#39;s official!🚨
I&#39;m suing the NCAA along with 15 other collegiate athletes who have lost out on titles, records, &amp; roster spots to men posing as women
The NCAA continues to explicitly violate the federal civil rights law of Title IX. About time someone did something about…
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1768335572798456179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the lawsuit accuses the NCAA and several Georgia universities of violating Title IX, as well as the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The lawsuit also accused the NCAA of attempting to chill the free speech of athletes through speech codes that might be interpreted to define any opposition to men competing in women’s sports as “transphobic.”
In addition to Gaines, the others on the lawsuit included Reka Gyorgy, Kylee Alons, Kaitlyn Wheeler, Lily Mullens, Susanna Price, Carter Satterfield, Kate Pearson, Katie Blankinship, Julianna Morrow, Ainsley Erzen, Ellie Eades, and multiple athletes who have chosen to remain anonymous. The athletes include swimmers, track athletes, and volleyball players.
The lawsuit says that the NCAA has been driven by ideology and not science with its policies regarding the participation of transgender-identifying athletes.
“The sole justification of the Association for its discriminatory Transgender Eligibility Policies, which are imposed by the NCAA upon all member colleges and universities in NCAA Divisions I, II and III, is that biological differences between males and females can allegedly be overcome by a program of testosterone suppression in males who identify as transgender,” the lawsuit says.
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The athletes argue that the NCAA has pursued radical policies at the expense of female athletes.
“What is disappointing and unlawful is that the NCAA aggressively applies its radical Transgender Eligibility Policies which diminish women’s opportunities despite the clear Title IX imperative to hold separate competitions and separate championships for women where physiological advantages of men preclude mixed (or open) competitions and despite vast scientific and experiential evidence demonstrating the NCAA’s policies harm women,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit demands that the NCAA revoke any award or record from any male who has competed as a female and reverse policies allowing males to compete in women&#8217;s sports.

Riley Gaines, Other Collegiate Athletes Sue NCAA For Allowing Men To Compete In Women’s Sports

Sportscaster Bob Costas chimed in regarding the trans controversy in sports, saying, “We can’t throw common sense out the window.”
Costas appeared on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” alongside Atlantic staff writer Caitlin Flanagan. Maher spoke of the lawsuit filed by transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas against World Aquatics so Thomas could compete in women&#8217;s swimming at the Summer Olympics. He asked whether permitting trans-identifying athletes to compete against women was fair.
“Without getting too deep into this, people may not realize this, the individual federations that govern these sports make up their own rules,” Costas answered. “So World Aquatics may have different rules than FIFA or the Track and Field Association. So I understand that when it comes to Olympic boxing, that federation will allow trans women to compete against biological women, at birth biological women. That seems crazy.”
“You don’t want to be called — it&#8217;s not transphobic to say &#8216;Let&#8217;s inject some common sense here,’” he continued. “A lot of this is murky. We know that some people who use this as an issue actually are hostile towards trans people, or people who after carefully considered decision at a certain point in life, decide that they&#8217;ll be happier and closer to their true selves. I think any sensitive person is aligned with that. But — Sugar Ray Leonard didn&#8217;t fight Mike Tyson. They were contemporaries. Sugar Ray was a welterweight, Mike was a heavyweight, alright? If someday the best player in the WNBA can play in the NBA, everybody would applaud. But if the worst guy at the end of the bench on the worst team in the NBA went to the WNBA and averaged 40 points a game, everybody knows that&#8217;s bulls***.”
“What’s the answer for the trans athlete? What’s the answer? A separate division?” Maher pressed.
“Well, I don’t think you want just trans athletes competing against other trans athletes; they’re going to have to codify the rules that I’m not prepared to say exactly what those rules would entail but they’ll have to codify them so you don’t have a hodge-podge,” Costas replied.
“You know these kind of extreme cases, and I hate that we have to talk about them so much because it makes it [like] we have to say things that are cruel or hurtful to some people but you know, women&#8217;s and girls’ sports, they weren&#8217;t created as separate from men&#8217;s and boys’ because of some weird gendered thing like they have to wear pink, and they have to wear blue, they&#8217;re that way because of the profound sex differences between the sexes,” Flanagan chimed in. “That&#8217;s the reason. You don&#8217;t hear about any trans male athletes on a D1 basketball team… it&#8217;s the trans women who seem to be using a natural advantage that comes from sex-linked traits, you know, we women- we can&#8217;t compete.”
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“But it might not be, at some point down the road, if it’s codified, and if you take the transition hormones and balance that out, and maybe that happens before puberty or shortly after, because even if you begin that hormone therapy, you retain some of the advantages that generally go with being a man, greater lung capacity, greater strength, etc., etc.,” Costas stated. “So they’re going to have to codify it. &#8230; We don’t want to be cruel or punitive toward someone who is trying to deal with a circumstance, but at the same time, we can’t throw common sense out the window.”
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Bill Maher asks Bob Costas what is the best answer regarding trans competing in sports. Maher asks Costas a simple question: Should trans compete in a separate division? Bob Costas: &quot;I don&#39;t think you want trans athletes competing against other trans athletes&quot; Caitlin Flanagan:… <a href="https://t.co/tBJkgcL3fH">pic.twitter.com/tBJkgcL3fH</a>
&mdash; Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricAbbenante/status/1756182293763285032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Bob Costas On Trans-Identifying Athletes: ‘We Can’t Throw Common Sense Out The Window’

Bill Maher

Bob Costas

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Powerlifting

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Track and Field

Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) announced a new House bill on Thursday that would bar trans-identifying men from competing in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olympic</a> or amateur sports.
&#8220;Today, I introduced the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to prohibit any governing body recognized by @TeamUSA from allowing biological men to participate in ANY athletic event intended for women,&#8221; Steube explained. &#8220;With groups like @USABoxing adopting insane transgender policies, this legislation would protect women and prevent delusional organizations such as @usaboxing from being recognized by the U.S. Olympic committee.&#8221;
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Today, I introduced the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to prohibit any governing body recognized by <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TeamUSA</a> from allowing biological men to participate in ANY athletic event intended for women. 
With groups like <a href="https://twitter.com/USABoxing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USABoxing</a> adopting insane transgender…
&mdash; Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepGregSteube/status/1753119152351428723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Along with his post on X, the Florida Congressman shared a <a href="https://steube.house.gov/press-releases/steube-and-tuberville-introduce-legislation-to-prohibit-men-from-competing-in-usa-womens-olympic-and-amateur-sports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> — in which he explained that the legislation was, in part, a response to the 2024 transgender policy adopted by USA Boxing. According to that <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/01/02/news/usa-boxing-slammed-for-new-transgender-policy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a>, trans-identifying men may compete as women if they have completed sex reassignment surgery and have maintained testosterone below a certain level for three years prior to their first competition.
&#8220;Congress should not have to take legislative action to prevent biological men from hitting women for championship titles. Due to the illogical USA Boxing transgender policy, I introduced legislation to prevent organizations who choose to live in delusion from being recognized by the U.S. Olympic committee. We must combat the erasure of women’s sports by standing for truth, reality, safety, and fairness,&#8221; Steube said in the press release.
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) — who introduced a companion bill to Steube&#8217;s in the U.S. Senate — also issued a statement on the proposed legislation.
&#8220;It is deeply disturbing to see USA Boxing change its policy to allow men to box against women. Men should not be competing in women’s sports at any level—and especially not in a sport like boxing,&#8221; Tuberville said. &#8220;Whether in little league or the Olympics, it’s unsafe, it’s unfair, and it’s just plain wrong. This bill will ensure that the Olympics are fair to American women who train their whole lives to represent our country on the world stage.&#8221;
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The bill comes just days after trans-identifying swimmer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lia-thomas-seeking-legal-avenues-to-overturn-regulations-on-male-swimmers-competing-with-women-has-eyes-set-on-olympics-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lia Thomas</a> began taking legal steps toward a World Aquatics rule change — which would allow trans-identifying men to compete as women in elite swimming competitions even if they had gone through male puberty.
Steube&#8217;s bill, if passed, would &#8220;prohibit any governing body recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) from allowing men to participate in any athletic event intended for females.&#8221;
It is co-sponsored by Reps Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Randy Weber (R-TX), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), William Timmons (R-SC), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Brian Babin (R-TX), Andrew Clyde (R-GA),Tony Gonzalez (R-TX), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Mike Bost (R-IL), and David Kustoff (R-TN).

Transgender rights protest

House Bill Aims To Keep Trans-Identifying Men Off U.S. Women’s Olympic Teams

House Bill Aims To Keep Trans-Identifying Men Off U.S. Women's Olympic Teams

Congress

Florida

Trans-identifying swimmer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lia-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lia Thomas</a>, a biological male who competed on UPenn’s women’s swimming team, has mounted a legal challenge in hopes of reversing regulations placed on men competing in women’s swimming with his eyes set on the Olympics, according to a <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/swimming/2024/01/25/transgender-swimmer-lia-thomas-legal-challenge-ban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Telegraph.
Thomas hired Canadian law firm Tyr and asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland to reverse World Aquatics&#8217; recent rule changes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biological-males-should-not-compete-against-women-world-swim-coach-group-declares" target="_blank" rel="noopener">barring</a> trans-identifying men from competing in women’s swimming if they have gone through &#8220;any part of male puberty,&#8221; The Telegraph reported. World Aquatics, which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee, introduced the new rules regarding trans-identifying swimmers shortly after Thomas won the NCAA Division 1 championship in the 500-yard freestyle, and Thomas has not competed since 2022 when those rules were put in place.
“Trans women are particularly vulnerable in society and they suffer from higher rates of violence, abuse and harassment than cis women,” Thomas’ lawyer Carlos Sayao said. “Lia has now had the door closed to her in terms of her future ability to practice her sport and compete at the highest level.”
Sayao added that Thomas is “bringing the case for herself and other trans women to ensure that any rules for trans women’s participation in sport are fair, proportionate and grounded in human rights and in science.”
World Aquatics later said it would add an “open category” allowing trans-identifying swimmers, such as Thomas, to still compete. Only a month before the World Aquatics instituted its new rules regarding trans-identifying swimmers, Thomas told “Good Morning America” that he was hoping to try out for the U.S. Olympic team.
“It’s been a goal of mine to swim at Olympic trials for a very long time, and I would love to see that through,” he said.
Weeks before Thomas took home a Division 1 swimming title, USA Swimming passed new regulations on trans-identifying men competing in women’s swimming that critics said didn’t go far enough. The regulations passed by USA Swimming simply set up regular monitoring of testosterone levels instead of implementing any sort of outright ban on men swimming against women.
Thomas’ NCAA championship sparked nationwide backlash against men competing in women’s sports as some of Thomas’ former teammates and opponents spoke out about the humiliation of sharing a locker room and pool with a biological man. Women like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fighting-for-women-lia-thomas-teammate-tells-her-story-to-matt-walsh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paula Scanlan</a>, one of Thomas’ former teammates, and Riley Gaines, an SEC-champion swimmer who <a href="https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/riley-gaines-i-left-there-with-no-trophy-after-tie-with-lia-thomas-kentucky-standout-disappointed-with-ncaa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tied</a> with Thomas in the NCAA finals, are actively speaking out in support of keeping female sports for women and girls only.
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Thomas initially brought his case before the tribunal last September, but World Aquatics asked for it to be dismissed because Thomas had not submitted himself to USA Swimming&#8217;s jurisdiction, according to The Telegraph. Thomas&#8217; case before the CAS is unlikely to be heard before USA Swimming hosts its trials for the 2024 Olympics in June.

Lia Thomas Seeking Legal Avenues To Overturn Regulations On Male Swimmers Competing With Women, Has Eyes Set On Olympics: Report

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