Copyright thepinknews
Lia Thomas has described policies that ban trans athletes from competitive sports as “a gut punch”. The trans swimmer was commenting on World Aquatics’ decision to effectively bar trans women from the women’s category. The governing body, formerly known as FINA, adopted a policy in 2022 which decreed that transgender women who wanted to compete in events must “have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond tanner stage two, or before [the] age [of] 12”. Those who fail to meet that level can swim in the open category or men’s competitions. Critics of the policy, including Thomas, have said it was “nearly impossible” for trans women to meet the regulations. Thomas lost a legal battle against World Aquatics last year when the International Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the governing body could continue implementing restrictions. Speaking to Whyy earlier this month, Thomas admitted the defeat continued to sting. “It was a gut punch and it still hits me sometimes,” she said. “It’s aching grief at not being able to do the sport that I love.” After becoming the first out trans athlete to win a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division One championship in 2022, Thomas faced transphobic comments from right-wing pundits, who mocked and verbally abused her. Riley Gaines, who tied for fifth place with Thomas during the 200-yard freestyle in the same year, advocates for trans exclusionary policies across all sports, and in public life, even claiming in 2023 that transgender women had an advantage in chess. Despite the difficulties she’s faced, Thomas has refused to back down and would “do it all over again in a heartbeat”, saying: “There’s just no substitute to living and being your authentic self. It unfortunately takes courage because of the many difficulties there are surrounding being openly trans, especially being an openly trans athlete, but it’s absolutely worth it.” Transphobia, and particularly trans-misogyny, reek of hypocrisy, she added. “You don’t get to say: ‘You can be a woman in these situations, but not in these’, because you would never do that to a cis woman. “A lot of people think: ‘It’s OK that I can sort of be the arbiter and pick and choose when I see [transgender women] as women’.” Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
