Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas has caused controversy over the entirety of the last year after competing and winning in the women’s category at the NCAA National Championships. Now, to add to the growing unpopularity of the situation the University of Pennsylvania has nominated the controversial swimmer for “Woman of the Year”- a nomination unwelcome by everyone. Thomas earlier competed for the men’s team at UPenn before switching to the women’s team after her transition last year.
The controversial move was not welcome by anyone, as Thomas received backlash from fellow swimmers, parents and experts alike. The Ivy League swimmer has been nominated by the University for the award that, according to the NCAA website, is for, “academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions.” Needless to say, many other athletes and their parents as well as coaches were extremely unhappy about it.
Parents, fellow Ivy League swimmers of Lia Thomas enraged after nomination
The mother of an Ivy League student was extremely outraged at the decision, saying that the nomination of Thomas was “humiliating” and “devastating”; it showed that “women don’t matter”. Jones said that other athletes spend countless hours practicing, and their efforts were completely dismissed. “There is a biological difference between men and women. And if we can’t agree that that foundational truth is a reality, then how can we protect our girls and women?”
Lia Thomas is nominated for “Woman of the Year.”
Boy, she’s really got some balls on her.
Jones and Marshi Smith, a former NCAA champion swimmer, co-founded ICONS, the Independent Council on Women’s Sports. “The message is hey’re not even worthy of dignity and comfort in their locker rooms. And this nomination is just the embodiment of that message. It’s really frustrating to understand where the current NCAA and Ivy League and especially Penn’s stance is on the value of women in modern society,” said Jones to Fox News.
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