Penn Parents Express Further Concerns Over Lia Thomas Competing On Women’s Team – Swimming World Magazine

Penn Parents Express Further Concerns Over Lia Thomas Competing On Womens Team

The controversy surrounding Penn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas has been brought to national attention during the past two weeks as the debate rages on about the playing field being level in womens swimming. Thomas, a transgender swimmer who has followed the rules set forth by the NCAA on this matter, has put together some of the top college times in the country two years after competing for the Penn mens swim team.

The major reaction to Thomas speed in the water has been focused on records being in jeopardy and the validity of any record she might break, and whether or not Thomas competing is fair to female swimmers who were born female. Thomas competing in womens races just a few years after transitioning has led to controversy, and there have been numerous opinions about whether she should be allowed in womens races. She has undergone required hormone therapy, but many believe that since she underwent male puberty, she has inherent advantages over her female competitors.

But there are plenty of other issues at stake that parents of Penn swimmers have discussed and written about. They, like many upset by the issue, are trying not to take their frustrations out on Thomas, but are taking their frustrations to the NCAA to change the rules after Thomas situation is revealing an uneven playing field in many peoples eyes.

One issue emphasized by the Penn parents is travel team participation. Thomas is one of 26 swimmers that can travel to NCAA away meets. Her participation means that one female-born swimmer will not get to travel and compete at each away meet.

Then there is the issue of relay participation. Thomas is the fastest swimmer on the team and would likely be chosen for most, if not all, of the Penn relays at the Ivy League Championships and any relay that qualifies for the NCAA Championships. That means other swimmers on her team wont swim at the NCAA Championships.

A Penn parent wishing to remain anonymous shared their thoughts on these matters:

The debate has been focused on Lias competitive advantage, as it relates to her being able to attain immortality status in the womens sports category; metrics like wins, records, and rankings. Fair competition is obviously a major concern. But what no one is talking about are some of the wider effects of Lias place on the womens team. University of Pennsylvanias womens team has 40 swimmers. Lia is taking one of the roster spots from a biological female. This year, a woman was left behind on the Zippy Invitational trip who otherwise wouldve been able to experience competing for her team. At that meet, Lia swam on five relays, taking a spot from a biological female on each. Lias performances arent just about her place in history, her participation means another woman does not get the opportunity; it is a zero-sum game.

In February, when the team will compete at Ivy League Championships, each school can send a maximum of 18 swimmers. A biological woman, who has been swimming competitively since a very young age, training hard, and dreaming that someday she might be able to represent a great D1 school at a conference championship, will miss out on that opportunity. Now that Lia is on the team, that girl who wouldve earned the 18th spot isnt 18th and she has to stay home.

These are just a few of the ways transgender women are taking the opportunities that were created for biological women.

These ripple effects and the impact on any one biological woman wont be covered by Swimming World, but will have a big impact on these womens futures; impacts that are sure to increase as more transgender athletes are allowed to compete on teams with biological women without mitigating their male-puberty advantage, like athletic scholarships and being one-of-40 team members. Title IX was supposed to ensure women have the same opportunities as men; and without proper rules governing the womens category, perhaps we should have one swimming team, and see who makes it. In that scenario, my daughter wouldnt make it, and Im betting yours wouldnt either. The conclusion is undeniable; the inclusion of trans women with biological women leads to exclusion and loss of opportunities for biological women.

Penn parents have been active about this issue as a group. They wrote an open letter to the NCAA, the Ivy League and Penn officials, looking for answers.

Answers could include changing the rules to mandate more than one year of gender transitioning, or creating a third gender group for college swimming, and a number of other possibilities. Of course, the NCAA could also do nothing, citing Lia Thomas following of the rules.

At stake here is the integrity of womens 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 NCAAs 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, Lias teammates, Lias coaches, UPenn athletics and the Ivy League.

The university sent a terse response to the parents, claiming the school is doing what it can to help the student-athletes navigate Thomas 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 Lias 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.

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Penn Parents Express Further Concerns Over Lia Thomas Competing On Women's Team - Swimming World Magazine