Biological Sex Matters in Sports
April 22, 2022
Lia Thomas is a transgender swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania. After three years of competing with very limited success as a member of the men’s swim team, she now competes on the university’s women’s team and has attracted widespread media attention for her complete domination of nearly every event in which she enters. Before transitioning, Thomas was ranked #462 nationally in men’s collegiate swimming. She now is ranked #1 in women’s swimming and recently won the NCAA Championship in the 500-yard freestyle, becoming the first transgender athlete to do so.
Transgender athletes participating in women’s sports has been a widely debated topic in America over the past year, sparked in large part by Thomas’ success in the pool. The question of whether biological males should or should not compete in women’s sports is perhaps the most important issue today in collegiate athletics.
In America, we’re fortunate to enjoy the freedom to make personal choices for ourselves, including our gender identity. I support an individual’s right and choice to be who they want to be, express themselves freely, and choose the life path that will make them happiest. We are so lucky to live in a country where each of us is free to express our own individuality and live authentically.
However, as an athlete, I have a real problem with transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
Allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports unfairly disadvantages talented, gifted, extremely hard-working female athletes. The hopes, goals, and dreams of far too many girls and women are being shattered.
The whole reason sports have always been separated by biological sex is because of the obvious, undeniable, significant physical differences between men and women. The truth is that males are built differently than females. It’s biology. It’s science. When we allow biological males to compete against biological females, these differences give transgender athletes an unfair advantage that biological girls and women simply can’t overcome. No matter how hard they train, no matter how much time and effort they pour into their sports, no matter how great the sacrifices they make to be their best.
According to BBC Future, biological males may have up to 40% more upper-body strength and 33% more lower body strength than biological females. Males also produce much more of the hormone testosterone than females, which increases muscle mass and increases energy levels. Females average 15-70 nanograms per deciliter of testosterone, while males average 270-1070 nanograms per deciliter, says Medicine Net. The ratio isn’t even close. Men also have greater breathing capacities than women. The volume of females’ lungs are normally 10-12% smaller than the volume of lungs in men who are the same height and age.
Given these significant natural advantages – more muscle mass, larger skeletal structures, more lung volume, more testosterone, etc. – biological males have numerous athletic advantages over females. They are generally faster, stronger, and more explosive.
Some supporters of allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports insist that the testosterone-suppressing drugs taken during gender transition therapy minimize the athletic advantages of biological males. This is totally unconvincing and untrue. The fact is that no amount of testosterone suppressants can erase the physical advantages a biological male develops by going through puberty and adolescence. By the time a boy becomes a man, many of the advantages can’t be reversed.
The promotion of transgenderism and transgender rights is a widely trending topic in America, and it seems the media is very one-sided when it comes to this topic. If you support transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, you’re safe. Speak out against transgender athletes competing against girls and women, though, and, you’re likely to be labeled a transphobe. As a result, many female athletes – including those who actually have been unfairly hurt by the involvement of biological men in their sports – have been scared to speak out. No one wants to get her name tarnished as transphobic. They’ve pretty much been silenced.
Thankfully, this is beginning to change; female athletes, moms, dads, and some prominent national figures are finally finding their voices and speaking out against this situation.
University of Virginia swimmer Emma Weyant finished second behind Thomas at the NCAA Championships, trailing by 1.75 seconds. This time was Weyant’s personal best and the third fastest time in UVA history. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared Emma Weyant, a Florida native, as the “rightful winner” of the race.
A Virginia Tech swimmer described how her teammate just barely missed the cut to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the 500-yard freestyle because of Thomas’ participation. The biological woman finished 17th in the heat, with only the top 16 securing places at the Championships.
“I have a teammate who did not make finals today because she was just bumped out of finals – and it’s heartbreaking to see someone who went through puberty as a male and has the body of a male be able to absolutely blow away the competition,” the Virginia Tech swimmer said.
The parents of an Auburn University swimmer who had to swim against Thomas in the 100 and 200-yard freestyle explained what Thomas’ participation meant for the rest of the athletes. “They asked how he felt about winning, when really, how did the rest of the women feel about having the stress of dealing with this, knowing they have to swim against him?” the father asked.
Ivy League parents also wrote a letter of protest to the NCAA about the policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, and the unfairness to biological women. Part of the letter says, “As parents of Ivy League swimmers, from men’s and women’s teams across the league, we have witnessed firsthand the utter abandonment of women and girls this year. We are furious, and most everyone in our community is furious, as well. Parents, coaches, swimmers, and rational, logical people know this is grossly unfair. Female swimmers have not consented to this. In fact, many of them expressly said ‘no.’ What response did they receive? Be quiet. A new ideology ruled. ‘Transwomen are women’ no exceptions; the girls’ concerns: ‘transphobic.’ They courageously spoke to coaches about the injustice they faced in the pool. They expressed how uncomfortable the locker rooms were with male nudity. When they were turned away, they went to their athletic departments and administration. They were turned away again.”
One of the most influential and successful female athletes of all time also has spoken out on this topic: Martina Navratilova. Navratilova is a retired tennis player with 18 Grand Slam singles titles, a previous World #1 ranking holder, one of the first openly gay athletes, and a LGBTQ rights activist. She believes the NCAA is wrong to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports.
“I don’t believe Lia should be allowed to swim, but again, she is going by rules. So the rules need to change,” Navratilova said. “The rules need to change because this is not a fair fight.”
Perhaps the most interesting and knowledgeable critic of allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports is Caitlyn Jenner, a transgender woman. But Jenner isn’t just any transgender woman; before transitioning , Bruce Jenner was a gold medalist in the decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. The decathlon combines 10 track and field events that require speed, strength, endurance, agility, and skill. Jenner won gold, set a new world record, and was once described by Time Magazine as the “world’s greatest athlete.”
Jenner today is a transgender woman who has been a women’s rights advocate in athletics and has protested Lia Thomas’ involvement in women’s swimming.
“We need to protect women’s sports,” Jenner said. “I feel sorry for the other athletes that are out there, especially at Penn or anyone she’s competing against. It’s not good for women’s sports. It’s unfortunate that this is happening.”
We need more people who will stand up for the girls and women who don’t make a team, don’t qualify for a big event, don’t win a trophy or medal, don’t earn a scholarship, don’t make All-State or All-American, or don’t see their dreams come true despite making all the sacrifices and putting in all the blood, sweat, and tears because of the involvement of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
It’s time for supporters of girls and women to speak out. Make their voices heard. Moms, you see your girls working so hard to be the best athletes we can be and to achieve our goals, so please stand up for us. Dads, your daughters need your support, so please speak on our behalf. Feminists, if you honestly support girls and women, you have to start speaking out about this , because our rights truly are at stake.
I’m supportive of every individual choosing how they wish to live, and living life authentically, free from discrimination and harassment, but in sports, there are definite differences between biological male and women that cannot be ignored, and all biological girls and women want is to compete on a level playing field. As transgender female golfer from Denmark Mianne Bagger recently said, “Sport is about physical ability. It’s not about discrimination, it’s not just about equality and equal access. It is a physical ability. Now, if you’ve got one group – males – that are on average stronger, taller, faster, as opposed to women, there has to be a divide. There has to be a division.”
The comment section for this story is closed.
Loading ...
Female LFHS Student • Apr 24, 2022 at 10:57 pm
Lainey, great job on this article. Well written and getting the point across, it made me happy to see you put yourself out there to spread our voices. Most people agree with you but are too afraid to speak up; I am too afraid to speak up. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and at our school that wheel is the liberal agenda and people who say actions like this are acceptable. They do not understand the toll that this has on everyone involved.
LFHS student • Apr 22, 2022 at 8:54 pm
I think we can all agree it takes a lot of guts to post something about such a contravercial topic, along with adding your name to it. I think we should all applaud you for putting yourself out there knowing you will get backlash. Thank you for speaking out for what you believe in, no matter what your opinion is. Thank you Lainey.
. • Apr 22, 2022 at 7:53 pm
I don’t see why you people are concerned about trans athletes ‘dominating’ women’s sports when there literally hardly any trans athletes to do so. Transphobic ppl make problems out of non-existent issues just so they can continue harassing an innocent minority of people for made up reasons. Its stupid, laughable even. Maybe focus on things that actually exist instead of creating false ones and turning them into problems.
Ethan • Jan 11, 2024 at 9:44 pm
It’s because even if there aren’t many trans athletes, they still have the biological build and abilities of whatever gender they were at birth. It’s just to make sure that it’s fair with women who aren’t trans having a chance rather than ignoring it and letting those with a body that was originally male having an unfair advantage. I’m not being a transphobe, I’m merely stating unbiased scientific facts.
former grad • Apr 22, 2022 at 5:35 pm
As a Lake Forest High School graduate, it is quite disturbing to think these harsh opinions are being spread throughout my former community. To post this opinionated publication on a day that is meant to be inclusive and silent is disturbing to me. Regardless of the opinion, this should be a day to accept and love your neighbors, not attack people that have been told they can’t do things because of who they are inside and out. Please do better to educate yourself on how to be more inclusive as many universities and post-graduate jobs will look at the things you post online with your name attached.
Drew • Nov 9, 2022 at 6:58 pm
I find your opinion on how this opinion is offensive, offensive….
Journalism stands upon the foundation of its writer’s words and the facts/messages that accompany them. Views, beliefs, and opinions give those words their strength, a strength that is meant to inform, educate, and further adapt the minds of its audience.
We can all agree, disagree, or even fail to care about what we read, but we cannot disrespect and attack the thoughts of someone who means no harm and brings no harm.
LFHS Boy • Apr 22, 2022 at 4:30 pm
Great article Lainey! Don’t listen to those that say it is not well researched, you clearly did a great job; you simply did a poor job at finding articles that push their agenda. It’s ridiculous that it should be considered brave to author an article like this, but given the hypocrisy of a group that claims everyone should get a voice, it is brave nonetheless. The comments calling you a transphobe and fake feminist are irrelevant and false; keep writing articles that no one else is willing to!
Sincerely,
The Silent Majority
LF resident • Apr 23, 2022 at 2:33 am
I think the “silent majority” should stay silent. It’s just a fact that a good journalism is only good when a journalist researches both sides of a story when writing an opinion piece. It’s not “pushing their agenda”, it is a quality that makes a journalist who they are.
an actual trans person • Apr 22, 2022 at 4:00 pm
Enough people seem to be arguing with you in the comments, so I won’t add to that. I just think that if you want to share your opinion you should also talk about the other side of the argument. You also are sharing a lot of misinformation, especially about Lia Thomas. You also need to understand the consequences of your posting this. I am a trans student at LFHS and I already get enough hate from my peers. Even if you consider do not yourself to be a transphobe, you must understand that sharing this could potentially affect my life and the lives of other trans people at our school, especially those that are not out of the closet.
a decent human being • Apr 22, 2022 at 2:28 pm
There was very clearly a lack of knowledge and research put into this article. Lia won the 500-yard race by just over a second. She’s not winning by some crazy margin. She’s not even close to the women’s world record for that race (which was set by a cis woman), she’s 10 seconds behind it. In her 100-yard race and 200-yard race, she got 5th and 8th place. She’s not “dominating” in the way that people say she is.
Also, you say. “According to BBC Future, biological males may have up to 40% more upper-body strength and 33% more lower body strength than biological females. Males also produce much more of the hormone testosterone than females, which increases muscle mass and increases energy levels. Females average 15-70 nanograms per deciliter of testosterone, while males average 270-1070 nanograms per deciliter, says Medicine Net. The ratio isn’t even close.”
While there are grammar issues with this excerpt, there are other issues as well. Lia Thomas does not have those testosterone levels or body strength anymore. Her performance and muscle mass have gone down significantly since transitioning. She is 10 to 15 seconds slower than she was pre-transition. She has the same amount of estrogen and testosterone as any average cis woman. It’s not just Lia Thomas either. Laurel Hubbard, a trans athlete, male to female, competed in the Olympics in 2020. She was a competitive heavy-weight lifter. And if things really work out the way you say it does, she would have beaten everyone by a landslide, because women aren’t capable of heavy lifting. BUT SHE GOT 4TH PLACE. She was beaten by THREE CIS GENDERED WOMEN. But no one is talking about that cause she didn’t win. Transphobes would only seem to accept trans women athletes in sports if they lost every single time.
You’re quote “if you support transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, you’re safe. Speak out against transgender athletes, though, and you’re likely to be labeled a transphobe.” hits the point exactly but you still completely miss it. You are labeled as a transphobe BECAUSE YOU ARE ONE. And on top of that, you posted this article ON THE DAY OF SILENCE. This “debate” is not about “saving women’s sports” or “real women’s dreams being crushed by men” it’s a debate about transphobia and misogyny. If people really care about women’s sports like they say they do, where is all the support for them? People don’t care for women’s sports until a trans person is brought into the equation. People don’t care about the pay gap or the gap in event/game attendances. Also to say that genetically born men are inherently better than genetically born women is straight-up sexist. I know so many women who could beat a man in a fight.
Yall are always the first to say “I support an individual’s right and choice to be who they want to be, express themselves freely, and choose the life path that will make them happiest.” and then add a “but” afterward.
Also if you were a real feminist, you would fight for trans women’s rights as well because trans women are women.
Trans people are humans too and should be treated as such.
A human being with a brain • Apr 22, 2022 at 4:16 pm
There was very clearly a lack of common sense put into this comment. Try to tone down the self-righteousness and superiority, you are not smarter than everyone else, and your opinion on this matter is not objectively correct. You are certainly entitled to it, but calling Lainey a “transphobe” and “not a real feminist” simply for trying to look out for regular girls in sports is ad hominem and completely uncalled for. Apparently all voices need to be heard, except for the ones that you happen to disagree with.
not woke • Apr 22, 2022 at 9:37 pm
“Also to say that genetically born men are inherently better than genetically born women is straight-up sexist. I know so many women who could beat a man in a fight.”
Read that back…it’s Biology! It fully has to do with X and Y Chromosomes, and genetics. This isn’t sexist whatsoever-it’s the way men and women are, and always will be…look at how uneducated you sound!
An educated individual • Apr 28, 2022 at 2:33 pm
To add on to the other people who commented on your comment you clearly know nothing about swimming. “Just over a second.” That’s a huge deal in a race. Half a second is a huge deal nevertheless beating someone by an entire second.
Go America • Apr 22, 2022 at 2:15 pm
Lainey!!! This is so brave to have written this, and you wrote it so well. It takes guts to be able to say what many are thinking. People are too worried about others getting offended these days and try to be so woke to please other people. This isn’t transphobic in any sense-it is just calling attention a controversial topic. Knowing how involved you are in training and how serious you are about athletics, this is fully, fully valid. Cheers to you for putting this out there
mar • Apr 22, 2022 at 12:44 pm
I think it’s great you get to share your opinion, but maybe next time you should include both sides and not just female transgender athletes but also male transgender athletes. This was written so insensitively and the line about “feminists” is quite frankly so awfully written… Who’s rights are at stake? TRANS WOMEN ARE WOMEN.
Sam • Apr 22, 2022 at 2:08 pm
She specifically wrote about trans women in women’s sports because she is a woman and it is relevant to her. If a male was covering trans men in men’s sports, would you say why aren’t they covering trans women’s sports? Also, the column wasn’t insensitive, it is her own opinion. The main objective of an opinion article is to get those who agree and disagree. She has the right to write her opinion, as do you, but you can’t argue it’s “insensitive” when the article is based on facts and opinion. If you felt uncomfortable after reading this article, I’m sorry, but don’t shut down such a talented writer. Biological women’s rights are at stake due to the advantages that biological men have if they were to play in women’s sports, which she clearly factually states.
ben • Apr 22, 2022 at 12:18 pm
I don’t understand why you only talk about trans women and you are just being transphobic cause if you look it up its not an issue or a fact its just some people who think specifically trans women shouldnt be allowed in sports
Sam • Apr 22, 2022 at 1:29 pm
It’s not transphobic, she never specified that statement. You can’t assume someone is transphobic like you can assume someone’s gender identity or sexuality, right? Also, she never said trans women shouldn’t be allowed in sports, she has a right to her opinion and her opinion is clearly stated. Are you an athlete? If you were you would understand that there are advantages that biological men have over biological women. If science matters, why won’t you comprehend her argument?
Joe Mama • Apr 22, 2022 at 2:20 pm
its like really transphobic did you read it or?
LFHS Student • Apr 22, 2022 at 12:17 pm
Lainey, while I disagree with your opinion, I applaud you for writing this piece. Each time you have written opinion pieces, you have received backlash based on your opinion, and the fact that you keep writing these pieces is brave and admirable.
I believe being able to publish these stories and stir debate is what this country is all about, and I hope you keep working hard to let your voice be heard!
cooler LFHS student • Apr 22, 2022 at 12:25 pm
hey, this isn’t really a topic to stir debate about. real people’s well-being and rights are issues. this isn’t some funny debate topic to stir up discussion.
LFHS Student • Apr 22, 2022 at 3:06 pm
I think this is totally a debatable topic. I’m confident that a large percentage of this country agrees with her on this topic, and she simply offered her opinion on the debate on if transgender women should be able to compete in sports. Inherently, if there are two sides to an issue, pressing or not, it is debatable. Journalism is about uncovering opinions and finding both sides of the truth. And again, while I do not agree with her, she is expressing her rights as a student journalist and shouldn’t be silenced because people disagree with/are offended by it.
cooler LFHS student • Apr 22, 2022 at 4:23 pm
It dehumanizes trans people to not allow them to play sports like any cisgender person. This isn’t just some debate, it’s a bigger question of whether or not transgender people deserve to be treated like every other person. Human rights aren’t a debatable topic. Also, you got hard ratioed get owned.
Jack • Apr 22, 2022 at 8:30 pm
When a vast majority (74% ) vote no on this poll, then I question why we can’t talk about this. It is a debate just like many other in our country and we can’t simply just discard it because of peoples feelings. If we did that than we would never have truly great debate.
best LFHS student • Apr 22, 2022 at 9:42 pm
this is what the silent majority is thinking…look at the poll. This is indeed a topic we can fully unpack, however, most are scared of getting ‘canceled’ because their views don’t align with the woke views we get thrown on us by the media.
Charlie • Apr 22, 2022 at 10:00 am
I wrote an article about this exact topic, and it shows how little research you did for this article. If you had read articles and done research you would understand that sports is based on the unfair advantages of the players, that’s the whole point of sports. That’s the reason why sports are played, to use your advantages and disadvantages against each other to have a person or team win at the game. I feel as though, as an athlete, you should understand that.
Sam • Apr 22, 2022 at 1:53 pm
Your statement about how little research she did is 100% inaccurate. Lainey has gone above and beyond with her research, unlike any other news article regarding this issue. If sports is based on unfair advantages, you can argue that about everything in life, like school, work, etc. To add to the unfairness of sports, it is completely unfair to have biological men in women’s sports. Also, sports teams are about determination, hard work, and tactics. There are teams that have better skills and worth ethic than others. That’s how life is too. Lainey is a determined athlete, and I wonder if you are.
joe • Apr 22, 2022 at 9:51 am
Hi! I have a few issues with this article.
1. You say, “I support an individual’s right and choice to be who they want to be, express themselves freely, and choose the life path that will make them happiest. We are so lucky to live in a country where each of us is free to express our own individuality and live authentically.”
The transgender suicide rate in teens is at least 30%. Transgender and gay rights are being attacked daily with new legislation from all over the United States. The “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida, and new legislation in the same state advising any minor under transition to de-transition completely (no name change, clothes change, or hair change), are current examples. LGBTQ+ people don’t live in this sort of world. Many upon many youth are forced to hide who they are, especially here in Lake Forest. You clearly don’t have a lot of knowledge on LGBTQ issues.
Here are some articles you can read to educate yourself.
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/policy/florida-advises-against-gender-affirming-medical-or-social-care-transgender-kids
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/texas-sued-transgender-child-abuse_n_621e6189e4b0ce76f631e606
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/08/us/alabama-transgender-bills/index.html
Most of the information in these is cross-verifiable on other news sources!
2. “Allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports unfairly disadvantages talented, gifted, extremely hard-working female athletes. The hopes, goals, and dreams of far too many girls and women are being shattered.” You don’t bring up trans men in your argument at all. Transgenderism goes both ways. You either support one side or neither. What are your thoughts on transgender men competing in men’s sports? It seems incredibly biased that you didn’t address trans men at all in your argument.
3. “it’s heartbreaking to see someone who went through puberty as a male and has the body of a male be able to absolutely blow away the competition.”
Lia Thomas has been on HRT (estrogen) since 2019. Estrogen causes body fat and muscle mass to be redistributed throughout the body, so she doesn’t show all of the traits of male puberty.
In addition, check out these articles:
https://www.sportbible.com/other/news-report-claims-lia-thomas-does-not-have-unfair-advantage-20220325
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/lia-thomas-trans-swimmer-data-b2049615.html
Also, look at this information from the second article:
“Ms. Thomas won the women’s 500-yard freestyle race in 4m 33.24s. She came fifth in the 200-yard race, with 1m 43.40s, and eighth in the 100-yard race with 48.40s.
These were impressive results, but they weren’t record-breaking. Though the overall competition saw 27 all-time NCAA records broken, Ms. Thomas’s times weren’t among them.
A whopping 18 of those were broken by Kate Douglass of the University of Virginia (UVA), who now has the fastest times in US college history in the 50-yard freestyle, the 100-yard butterfly stroke, and the 200-yard breaststroke.”
Kate Douglass is a cisgender woman, meaning she’s a female who was born female. There’s evidence that Lia lost time on her swims as a result of her transition.
5. “Feminists, if you honestly support girls and women, you have to start speaking out about this, because our rights truly are at stake.”
Trans women are also women. Aren’t their rights also at stake for them not being allowed to compete in sports? Didn’t you say earlier that you “support an individual’s right and choice to be who they want to be” but don’t acknowledge the dehumanization of trans women in this remark?
trans rights are human rights • Apr 22, 2022 at 2:12 pm
thank you for writing this out, this couldn’t have been put better. this article was astoundingly lacking in research and understanding of the topic at hand, and the bias towards speaking out against trans women in sports over trans men in sports is so blatant.
This article acts as though (poorly researched) unfairness in sports is a huge problem to athletes while trans people, especially trans youth, are being targeted and discriminated against all across this country. I think human rights are far more important than your butt hurt feelings about athleticism, OP.
Once again, I’d like to reiterate from the above post that Lia Thomas and many other trans athletes have undergone hrt (hormone replacement therapy) and therefore their bodies resemble that of what a cisgender woman (or man, in a trans man’s case) would have after puberty. Please research the other side before crying “oh I’ll be labeled transphobic.” Maybe you just didn’t research properly nor pay any mind to the real issues at hand here: human rights.
joes response • Apr 22, 2022 at 5:01 pm
Hi Joe! Just wanted to share my opinion
1. “I support an individual’s right and choice to be who they want to be, express themselves freely, and choose the life path that will make them happiest. We are so lucky to live in a country where each of us is free to express our own individuality and live authentically.” I agree with your comment- there is certainly credible evidence to suggest the suicide rate, or at least attempted suicide rate is 2.5 to 3 times in non-binary students then in cisgender students, which is tragic. Although this fact is disheartening, in my opinion, this is a completely different problem than trans athletes competing in sports.
You also said, “Transgender and gay rights are being attacked daily with new legislation from all over the United States.” I completely disagree. The ‘don’t say gay’ bill (the example you used) does not properly reflect the momentum of legislation on any level. Federal law over the past 300 years has done nothing but clarify the rights for trans and nonbinary individuals, that is, that they are inherently equal. Same with Illinois state law. Even at this school there has been clubs, rules, and guidelines put in place, and are continuing to be put in place, to ensure that all people are treated equally, not the other way around.
2. “Allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports unfairly disadvantages talented, gifted, extremely hard-working female athletes. The hopes, goals, and dreams of far too many girls and women are being shattered.”
I agree with your comment about how Lainey did not mention transgender men in the article. However, I believe Lainey is simply focusing on the female disadvantage competing against biologically males, not how, if you were a women and transitioned to a man, you would have to compete against male competition in athletics because, as a biological woman, you would have a choice to decide whether competing against men was worth it, whereas the other way around, if you were a biological male, you would have purely an advantage against biologically women.
3. “it’s heartbreaking to see someone who went through puberty as a male and has the body of a male be able to absolutely blow away the competition.” You seem to be claiming Lia Thomas did not have any advantage against the biological females, but still won the race. Comparing Lia’s score to the men’s event its clear that if she had competed in her biologically natural event she would have not won.
:Preliminaries:
1st Sates, Matthew FR Georgia 4:08.73
2nd Magahey, Jake SO Georgia 4:09.22
…
17th Zettle, Alex SR Texas 4:13.88
18th Gallant, Will SO NCSU 4:13.99
Out of all 18 competitors in the male event none scored below a 4 min 14 second time.
In fact, if any one of these swimmers switched genders and competed in the female event they would have completely smashed the female all time record of 4:24:06 set by Katie Ledecky. That is a biological advantage. Looking through Lia’s swimming competition record from before her transitioning, she was a relatively average competitive male swimmer, definitely not NCAA winning level. If she had never had transitioned, I doubt she would have even qualified for the male event.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BqlQlUNs8A
(I think you forgot the number 4 btw)
5. “Feminists, if you honestly support girls and women, you have to start speaking out about this, because our rights truly are at stake.” Lainey doesn’t say anything about taking away rights from transwomen. Being able to chose what gender of sport you compete in is not a right. Just like how doping can give you a unfair advantage in a sport, being a biological male in a female event does too.
I would love to hear all of your responses as I am still trying to keep an open mind.
Trans ally and REAL Femenist • Apr 21, 2022 at 6:49 pm
Which if your rights are at stake exactly?
Sam • Apr 22, 2022 at 8:26 am
*feminist
She clearly stated that it’s not a civil rights argument, it’s about fairness in sports. Also, I recommend going back and looking at the biological advantages of men over women.
c • Apr 22, 2022 at 10:36 am
the point of Sports is using your physical and mental advantages to win a game against someone else using different tactics. it is completely fair.
Athlete #209 • Apr 22, 2022 at 8:26 pm
If it truly is fair than why don’t we make all sports teams co-Ed which would nearly eliminate women in sports. If you played sports you would probably understand. If Serena Williams was put in the mens Wimbledon she wouldn’t win a game, that doesn’t mean she does not have incredible talent and skill, it just means men hit it harder and play at a faster pace. If you truly are a feminist you would see how badly this hurts hard working women.