'I Can't Just Sit Back': Female UPenn Swimmer Blasts NCAA After Trans Athlete Lia Thomas Dominates Another Meet

'I Can't Just Sit Back': Female UPenn Swimmer Blasts NCAA After Trans Athlete Lia Thomas Dominates Another Meet


Another member of the University of Pennsylvania’s female swim team is speaking out over the situation with transgender teammate Lia Thomas after she dominated another competition over the weekend.

The anonymous female’s comments to the Washington Examiner come after Thomas won the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle races at a meet against fellow Ivy League institution Harvard University on Saturday.

The outlet noted:

For years, liberals, Democrats, and leftists have routinely claimed that a patriarchy in the United States exists and makes women second-class citizens. Female athletes have echoed these claims, bemoaning significant inequalities between men’s and women’s athletics. Consider the numerous reports that highlight disparities between men’s and women’s sports, especially at the collegiate level. Now, with athletes who have the genetics of a man being permitted to take away athletic opportunities from women, females have been relegated to an even lower position.

“Women are now third-class citizens,” the swimmer said, adding that she and other females were promised fair competition in their event when they agreed to attend UPenn, thought now that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The female swimmer also provided details about how Lia, born a biological male, did not do nearly as well when she was competing with men, claims that the Washington Examiner confirmed by looking at previous competitions where Thomas competed as a male versus now.

“Lia was not even close to being competitive as a man in the 50 and the 100 (freestyle events),” the anonymous swimmer said. “But just because Lia is biologically a man, [Lia] is just naturally better than many females in the 50 and the 100 or anything that [Lia] wasn’t good at as a man.”

The female teammate went on to blame the NCAA and the administration at UPenn, along with coaching staff and everyone else who is essentially refusing to act or look the other way.

“The top people at NCAA, who are on the board of directors … they are not protecting women’s rights,” the Penn swimmer told me. “Imagine if there was this kind of inequality in men’s sports. Or someone found out about doping in a men’s sport. It would be fixed in a blink of an eye. Everyone would be all over it. But because it’s women, they don’t care.”

“People have come up to me and said this is so wrong,” she continued. “I am typically liberal, but this is past that. This is so wrong. This doesn’t make any sense.”

She went on to say she would like to see more people speaking up and speaking out against the situation.

“I’m trying to do everything I can without harming my future from stopping this from happening,” she said. “I can’t just sit back and let something like this happen. I’m not just going to sit back and say, ‘My rights are being taken away, too bad.’ It’s embarrassing that people aren’t speaking out more.”

She also wondered aloud how Thomas actually felt about the accomplishments.

“It’s crazy because I don’t actually know if Lia thinks this is fair,” the Penn swimmer said. “This can’t possibly be rewarding in any way.”

“I can’t see how anyone could feel good about this,” she said.

Others feel similarly.

In an interview on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” in late December, Cynthia Millen said she stepped down from officiating USA Swimming meets after 30 years because she feels like female athletes are being “thrown under a bus” over transgender competitors.

“The fact is that swimming is a sport in which bodies compete against bodies. Identities do not compete against identities,” Millen said.

“It’s horrible,” Millen told guest host Sean Duffy. “The statement for women then is you do not matter, what you do is not important, and little girls are going to be thrown under the bus by all of this.”


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