(John Ransom, Headline USA) In a widely-anticipated circumstance as trans athletes increasingly share locker rooms with members of the opposite sex, teammates of UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas have complained that they have been exposed to Thomas’ penis in the locker room.
“It’s definitely awkward” one swimmer told the Daily Mail in an interview, “because Lia still has male body parts and is still attracted to women.”
She said that while sometimes Thomas covers up nudity, often times she doesn’t, but that as uncomfortable as it makes the other swimmers they have been told they can’t exclude her from the locker room.
How is this not a complete violation of women’s rights? Men who pee in public are put on sex offender lists and yet female athletes are being subjected to male genitals in their own locker room. It is outrageous and completely unacceptable. https://t.co/qHmTedbIZz
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) January 28, 2022
“It’s really upsetting,” added the swimmer, “because Lia doesn’t seem to care how it makes anyone else feel.”
That’s because UPenn is running legal cover for Thomas in every way possible, intimidating the swimmers and NCAA regulatory bodies, including USA Swimming.
“The University of Pennsylvania is considering a lawsuit if Lia Thomas is barred from competing in the upcoming NCAA women’s swimming championship, according to a report,” said the New York Post.
Currently, USA Swimming only requires one year of testosterone suppression in order for transgendered to qualify to swim in women’s meets, said the Post. But in March, USA Swimming will begin to require transgender athletes to provide proof of testosterone levels in order to qualify.
“I have a feeling that if USA Swimming changes their rules, they will be filing a lawsuit for Lia to swim, but they wouldn’t do that for us,” one Thomas teammate said, according to the Post.
Thomas has been the center of controversy as she smashed records at competitions against women for UPenn, whereas previously when Thomas swam as a man known as Will, he was a middling, college competitor.
According to the sports site Outkick, Thomas’ times would establish new world records for women.
“On paper, if Lia Thomas gets back down to Will Thomas’ best times, those numbers are female world records,” one teammate said. “Faster than all the times Katie Ledecky went in college. Faster than any other Olympian you can think of. His times in three events are [female] world records.”
Still, UPenn is trying to present the outside world with a message of solidarity on the swim team.
“We want to express our full support for Lia in her transition,” said an unsigned statement released by the school from several members of the team, according to ESPN.
“We value her as a person, teammate, and friend,” the statement continued.
“The sentiments put forward by an anonymous member of our team are not representative of the feelings, values, and opinions of the entire Penn team, composed of 39 women with diverse backgrounds,” the anonymous backers added.
