After finding herself at the center of a poltical firestorm for being the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship, University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas took to a podcast this week to hit back at her detractors. In an interview with Schuyler Bailar, the NCAA’s first trans swimmer, Thomas accused her critics of having “an implicit bias against trans people,” saying, “You can’t really have that sort of half support, where you’re like, ‘Oh, I respect her as a woman here, but not here.’ They’re using the guise of feminism to sort of push transphobic beliefs.” While many have celebrated Thomas’ victory as a milestone for trans participation in college athletics, others have claimed that she has an unfair advantage. Thomas is required to abide by the NCAA’s strict requirements for trans athletes, including limits on testosterone levels.
