Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas Nominated For NCAA Woman Of The Year By University Of Pennsylvania
William Thomas was a swimmer at UPenn who was ranked 462nd on the men's team. After he decided to identify as a woman, he started taking home multiple trophies and accolades from women's swim meets.
The uproar around William Thomas' participation in women's sports has sparked an important conversation about the biological differences between men and women, which can't be undone with hormone therapy or even surgery. Thomas has taken home countless medals and beaten numerous women in the pool, and all the while he's been held up as a hero for the transgender community.
Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year
Thomas, 22, has been nominated for a prestigious award by UPenn: NCAA Woman of the Year. The award is meant to honor "female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers."
Thomas has indeed been dominant this season in women's swim meets, but his success has been met with much controversy. Many people are critical of the fact that he has a biological advantage over women and his very presence on the swim team is detrimental to female athletes' growth and success.
Just last month, the international federation FINA implemented new rules that prohibited trans athletes from competing if they transitioned after the age of 12. Many criticized this decision as too little too late since Thomas has already stolen so many medals from women.
Thomas hasn't been awarded NCAA Woman of the Year, but the fact that he was even nominated has caused a stir online and plenty of people are voicing their concern that women's spaces are being infiltrated by men who don't belong there.