Women’s rights groups showed up to the NCAA women’s swimming championships Thursday to protest William “Lia” Thomas, a biological male swimmer who is competing as a woman. Thomas made headlines Thursday after winning a race against other female swimmers and becoming “the first known transgender athlete to win a Division I national championship in any sport,” according to ESPN.
As Rebecca covered Thursday, Thomas was praised by the mainstream media for winning an NCAA Division I title after finishing first in the women's 500-yard freestyle event on Thursday evening that took place in Atlanta. Thomas finished the race in 4 minutes, 33.24.
As Rebecca noted in her report, Save Women’s Sports founder Beth Stelzer draped a banner with such a phrase during Thomas’ race. Reportedly, she was asked by staff to take it down.
There are protesters at the pool ahead of the 500-yard final at women’s NCAAs. Lia Thomas is the top seed in lane 4 pic.twitter.com/g45QyMHKjm
— Laine Higgins (@lainehiggins17) March 17, 2022
Stelzer also snapped a photo of Thomas behind-the-scenes, with the caption “Thomas, your real competition is not in the pool.”
Thomas, your real competition is not in the pool. #SaveWomensSports pic.twitter.com/QMNVkXNpXB
— Beth Stelzer (@BethStelzer) March 18, 2022
But, Stelzer was not the only one to protest Thomas’ participation in the NCAA championships, where Thomas competed against biological women and won.
In an interview with Fox News, Kellie-Jay Keen, head of the organization Standing for Women, said “women aren’t considered full humans” if biological men are allowed to compete in women’s sports.
“There’s a man, called Will Thomas, who’s changed his name to Lia Thomas, who is competing in women’s swimming,” Keen told Fox News outside of the Georgia Tech athletic center, where the races were hosted.
"Women aren't considered full humans," Keen added. "We can't be – otherwise there wouldn't be an opportunity for men to compete in women's sports."
Other protesters from Save Women’s Sports assembled outside of the venue.
RIGHT NOW: Protesters are rallying at Georgia Tech for and against Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer at UPenn, ahead of the 500 Freestyle final of the NCAA Championships.
— Patrick Quinn (@PatrickQuinnTV) March 17, 2022
If Thomas wins, she’ll be the first known transgender woman to win a NCAA swimming title. pic.twitter.com/vQ93h7JCJ0
At the ?@NCAA? Swimming National Championships in Atlanta. A small but vocal group of protesters is voicing opposition to Lia Thomas, the UPenn swimmer who could make history today. Thomas is a trans woman, and could be the 1st to win a Nat Championship in D1 athletics. pic.twitter.com/4NMd8WfLxt
— John Barr ESPN (@JohnBarrESPN) March 17, 2022
Virginia Tech swimmer competing in this year’s NCAA championship details how her teammate was brought to tears after her place in the finals was taken by Lia Thomas: pic.twitter.com/mow56mVp1W
— Sav (@RapidFire_Pod) March 17, 2022
Annabelle Rutledge, the director of Concerned Women for America (CWA) told Fox News that Thomas “is a male displacing women.”
"The female who came in second today is the real winner,” she continued. "Only women can win a women's swimming and diving championship.”
As I covered Thursday, CWA filed a Civil Rights Complaint under Title IX against University of Pennsylvania for allowing Thomas to compete on the women’s swim team.
In a press release from CWA, it explains how Thomas holds an “unfair advantage” over biological female student-athletes, as well as creates a “hostile environment” in the locker room, which Matt covered.
“Thomas is anatomically and biologically a male with physical capacities that are different from anatomically and biologically female athletes, which extends an unfair advantage and strips female student-athletes of opportunities afforded to them by law,” the press release continued. “The complaint also cites reports that Thomas’ own teammates have complained about UPenn allowing a hostile environment to fester in its locker room which has put them in apprehension.”
“The future of women’s sports is at risk and the equal rights of female athletes are being infringed,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of CWA said in the press release. “We filed a formal civil rights complaint against UPenn in response to this injustice.
“Any school that defies federal civil rights law by denying women equal opportunities in athletic programs, forcing women to compete against athletes who are biologically male must be held accountable.”
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