Transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male who has drawn a lot of negative attention by winning races while competing against actual women, is the subject of a lengthy Sports Illustrated piece. The article includes quotes of Thomas claiming to be a woman.
“I’m a woman, just like anybody else on the team,” Thomas said, according to the article. “I’ve always viewed myself as just a swimmer. It’s what I’ve done for so long; it’s what I love.”
Thomas claimed to not be thinking about wins and records, stating: “I get into the water every day and do my best.”
SI sat down for an exclusive interview with Penn's Lia Thomas, the woman at the heart of the debate over transgender athletes.
“I am here to swim,” she told @MileHighRobert https://t.co/aj5lgk7kdo pic.twitter.com/JR8eQK7aip
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 3, 2022
“The very simple answer is that I’m not a man,” Thomas claimed. “I’m a woman, so I belong on the women’s team. Trans people deserve that same respect every other athlete gets.”
The argument over whether biological males should be allowed to compete in athletic events designated for women is an issue filled with cultural controversy.
“We support Lia as a trans woman and hope she leads a happy and productive life, because that’s what she deserves,” the parent of another University of Pennsylvania swimmer said, according to the outlet. “What we can’t do is stand by while she rewrites records and eliminates biological women from this sport. If we don’t speak up here, it’s going to happen in college after college. And then women’s sports, as we know it, will no longer exist in this country.”
Thomas has also mentioned having a desire to keep swimming after college, according to Sports Illustrated.
“I don’t know exactly what the future of my swimming will look like after this year, but I would love to continue doing it,” Thomas said. “I want to swim and compete as who I am.”
Sports Illustrated reported that Thomas wishes to complete in the 2024 Olympics.
