Earlier this year, Townhall published a roundup of all the biological males who were celebrated as “women” throughout Women’s History Month. This included athletes, beauty influencers, beauty pageant winners, and foreign leaders.
Topping the list was Will “Lia” Thomas, a biological male who competed against women in swimming at the University of Pennsylvania. Predictably, Thomas won races against females and took home a Division I Title, robbing it from deserving athletes. Previously, he competed on the men’s swim team for several years.
While the outrage surrounding Thomas prompted some sports to implement policies excluding men from women’s sports, other organizations have done the opposite.
Gymnastics Australia will allow athletes to wear uniforms and use changing facilities based on their “gender identity” rather than their biological sex, according to new guidelines released recently.
On the organization’s website, it boasted that it is “committed” to fostering an “inclusive” environment for transgender athletes (Gymnastics Australia):
Gymnastics Australia is committed to providing a safe, fun and inclusive environment for all people, including those of diverse sexualities and genders. Being an inclusive organisation not only reflects our core values, it also reflects the diversity of our local communities.
The Gymnastics Australia Guidelines for the Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse People in Community Gymnastics have been developed to ensure all Australians can participate in both recreational and competitive gymnastics. We recognise that the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people within sport is a complex and emotive issue, and it is important to note that these guidelines are focused on creating and fostering inclusive environments.
We’re passionate about helping people lead happy, healthy and active lives. Gymnastics Australia celebrates diversity of sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, intersex status, ability, skill, cultural background, ethnicity, location, religious or political beliefs, and life stage.
There is a place in our sport for everyone, exactly as you are.
According to Daily Mail, new facilities that are being built or undergoing renovations will be asked to create “more options for changing rooms” to accommodate transgender people. Reportedly, recent studies claimed that Australian sports were “hostile and unwelcoming” to “gender-diverse” people.
Paula Scanlan, one of Thomas’ former teammates, said in an interview with Matt Walsh that she was forced to share a locker room with him. She said the circumstances were “uncomfortable” and that the school tried to silence her team.
“It [the locker room] was uncomfortable. I did notice a few girls – there’s a few bathroom stalls in the bathroom – and I did notice some girls changing in the bathroom stalls for practice, which I’ve never really seen that before,” Scanlan said. “For me personally, the biggest thing was, when you’re changing, there’s all these people talking in the background, all these women’s voices, and then all of a sudden you hear a man’s voice. I’d always kind of jump a little bit [hearing Thomas’ voice].”
“There was something going on in that athletic department that wanted to keep us quiet. And I was like, ‘this is getting scary,’” Scanlan explained. She said that girls were told in a meeting, without Thomas present, “do not talk to the media, you will regret it.”
