4 months after becoming First transgender athlete According to several news reports, Lia Thomas, a swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, has been awarded the NCAA’s “Woman of the Year” award for the Division I swimming title. Penn nominated both her and tennis player Iuliia Bryzgalova for the awards awarded at the NCAA’s annual convention.
Thomas’ career as an athlete is in the limelight as school districts and state councils across the country discuss whether transgender athletes should be allowed to participate in women’s sports.Multiple states including Utah, Recently passed a law prohibiting transgender girls from competing in teams of school girls.Utah High School Activity Association Facing a litigation About the state’s new policy.
Survey announced in June Pew Research Center The majority of Americans have shown that they support policies like Utah. Fifty-eight percent of U.S. adults support a rule that requires transgender athletes to “compete in gender-matched teams assigned at birth,” but only 17% disagree with Pew. Reported.
Support for banning transgender women from playing women’s sports is particularly strong among Republicans and Republican-minded people. According to Pew, 85% of these Americans uphold a law that requires transgender athletes to compete in gender-matched teams assigned at birth.
The NCAA now allows transgender female athletes to record and report testosterone levels and play in female teams if those levels fall below the threshold set for the sport.
“From 2022-23, transgender student athletes will need a documented level at the beginning of the season and a second documented after the first 6 months. Also, the choice of championship. Four weeks ago, you will need a documented testosterone level. ” NCAA reported In January.
Originally a member of Penn’s men’s swimming team, Thomas moved from second grade to third grade in 2019. “She started hormone replacement therapy and, according to her NCAA protocol, took a year off from swimming before joining her women’s team.” Axios reported..
Thomas, who graduated this spring, was able to switch to Penn’s women’s team, but her future options are limited. FINA, the international governing body for swimming, said in June, “preventing transgender athletes from participating in women’s elite races if they go through any part of the male adolescent process.” I voted. Reported by the BBC..
According to the article, the International Olympic Committee entrusts individual governing bodies such as FINA to set their own policies.
In an interview in MayGood morning, AmericaThomas said the potential for athletes’ advantage does not take into account the decision to transition transgender athletes and opposes policies that prevent women from participating in sports.
“Transgender people don’t move to athletics,” she said. “We are happy, genuine, and transition to our true self.”
