Lia Thomas, the openly transgender swimmer who won the NCAA championship, has been nominated by the University of Pennsylvania for NCAA Woman of the Year, one of the highest honors in collegiate athletics. Thomas has been nominated for the honor designed to recognize, “female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers.”
The Ivy League school’s Thomas, who even won the 500-yard freestyle event at the NCAA championship meet (beating Olympic silver medalist Emma Weyant by nearly 2 seconds), was undoubtedly dominant this season. However, it wasn’t without controversy.
Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas Has Been Nominated For WOMAN OF THE YEAR By The University Of Pennsylvania
Prior to her transition, Lia competed for the UPenn men’s swimming team; Thomas didn’t have nearly the same success. In a unanimous letter to university officials, many people—including 16 members of Lia’s own team—asked them to support stricter guidelines for Thomas and other future transgender athletes. The letter read,
“However, we also recognize that when it comes to sports competition, that the biology of sex is a separate issue from someone’s gender identity. Biologically, Lia holds an unfair advantage over competition in the women’s category, as evidenced by her rankings that have bounced from #462 as a male to #1 as a female.”
The NCAA changed its policies regarding transgender athletes in response to criticism, but the new rules—which would have prevented Lia from competing so soon after transitioning—were not in place during the previous swim season.
Thomas is one of 577 athletes from 23 different sports who compete in divisions I, II, and III (each eligible university or college may nominate up to two women).
With the change in the rules of sports competition, wouldn’t it make sense for the same to be true for an award given to women?
What do you think? Should Lia be nominated for Woman of the Year? Do you think it’s fair to biological women? Let us know in the comments below.
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