Lia Thomas: ‘Trans Women Are Not a Threat to Women’s Sports’

CHANG voice over She ░░░░░░░░ the swimmer who created ░░░░░░░░ waves across the country ░░░░░░░░ year old Lia Thomas ░░░░░░░░ UPenn swimmer making history ░░░░░░░░ March as the first ░░░░░░░░ transgender athlete to win ░░░░░░░░ Division 1 national title ░░░░░░░░ he athletic achievements on ░░░░░░░░ women s swim team ░░░░░░░░ fierce debate over fairness ░░░░░░░░ women s sports Clip ░░░░░░░░ JENNER It is just ░░░░░░░░ fair UNKNOWN FEMALE When ░░░░░░░░ comes to competition it ░░░░░░░░ just not a fair ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends CHANG voice ░░░░░░░░ Throughout the controversy Thomas ░░░░░░░░ largely remained quiet until ░░░░░░░░ Thomas I knew there ░░░░░░░░ be scrutiny against me ░░░░░░░░ I competed as a ░░░░░░░░ I was prepared for ░░░░░░░░ But I also don ░░░░░░░░ need anybody s permission ░░░░░░░░ be myself and to ░░░░░░░░ the sport that I ░░░░░░░░ CHANG voice over Assigned ░░░░░░░░ at birth Thomas grew ░░░░░░░░ in Austin Texas where ░░░░░░░░ says she fell in ░░░░░░░░ with swimming when she ░░░░░░░░ just 4 But as ░░░░░░░░ grew she says she ░░░░░░░░ increasingly disconnected to her ░░░░░░░░ Thomas I didn t ░░░░░░░░ like I was a ░░░░░░░░ I was like This ░░░░░░░░ t me this isn ░░░░░░░░ who I am CHANG ░░░░░░░░ over Thomas earned a ░░░░░░░░ at her Ivy League ░░░░░░░░ school UPenn on the ░░░░░░░░ s team but by ░░░░░░░░ sophomore year she says ░░░░░░░░ gender disphoria left her ░░░░░░░░ and suicidal Thomas I ░░░░░░░░ barely going to classes ░░░░░░░░ could barely get out ░░░░░░░░ bed and I said ░░░░░░░░ can t live like ░░░░░░░░ anymore I want to ░░░░░░░░ able to do things ░░░░░░░░ enjoy CHANG Even if ░░░░░░░░ might cost me my ░░░░░░░░ career Thomas Yeah that ░░░░░░░░ part of what kept ░░░░░░░░ from transitioning for so ░░░░░░░░ is I wasn t ░░░░░░░░ if I could continue ░░░░░░░░ and doing the sport ░░░░░░░░ love CHANG voice over ░░░░░░░░ began HRT hormone replacement ░░░░░░░░ in May of her ░░░░░░░░ year 2019 Thomas The ░░░░░░░░ and emotional changes happened ░░░░░░░░ quickly I was feeling ░░░░░░░░ lot better mentally I ░░░░░░░░ less depressed and I ░░░░░░░░ muscle mass and I ░░░░░░░░ a lot weaker and ░░░░░░░░ lot slower in the ░░░░░░░░ CHANG voice over After ░░░░░░░░ NCAA guidelines of a ░░░░░░░░ of hormone therapy to ░░░░░░░░ gender categories Thomas started ░░░░░░░░ senior year on the ░░░░░░░░ s team But her ░░░░░░░░ in the water was ░░░░░░░░ with outrage leading up ░░░░░░░░ the NCAA championships Her ░░░░░░░░ say she jumped in ░░░░░░░░ between the men s ░░░░░░░░ women s team CHANG ░░░░░░░░ are some who look ░░░░░░░░ the data and suggest ░░░░░░░░ you re enjoying a ░░░░░░░░ advantage What do you ░░░░░░░░ to that Thomas There ░░░░░░░░ a lot of factors ░░░░░░░░ go into a race ░░░░░░░░ how well you do ░░░░░░░░ the biggest change for ░░░░░░░░ is that I m ░░░░░░░░ And sophomore year when ░░░░░░░░ had my best times ░░░░░░░░ with the men I ░░░░░░░░ miserable And so having ░░░░░░░░ be lifted is incredibly ░░░░░░░░ and allows me to ░░░░░░░░ my all into training ░░░░░░░░ racing Trans people don ░░░░░░░░ transition for athletics We ░░░░░░░░ to be happy and ░░░░░░░░ and our true selves ░░░░░░░░ to get an advantage ░░░░░░░░ not something that ever ░░░░░░░░ into our decisions CHANG ░░░░░░░░ didn t transition to ░░░░░░░░ more medals Thomas No ░░░░░░░░ voice over Thomas quickly ░░░░░░░░ a lightning rod 16 ░░░░░░░░ her own teammates and ░░░░░░░░ of their parents wrote ░░░░░░░░ letters arguing Thomas posed ░░░░░░░░ threat to women s ░░░░░░░░ CHANG The women who ░░░░░░░░ the letter anonymously said ░░░░░░░░ they absolutely supported your ░░░░░░░░ to transition but they ░░░░░░░░ think it s unfair ░░░░░░░░ you to compete against ░░░░░░░░ women Thomas You can ░░░░░░░░ go half way and ░░░░░░░░ like I support trans ░░░░░░░░ and trans people but ░░░░░░░░ to a certain point ░░░░░░░░ if you support trans ░░░░░░░░ as women and they ░░░░░░░░ met all the NCAA ░░░░░░░░ then I don t ░░░░░░░░ if you can really ░░░░░░░░ something like that Trans ░░░░░░░░ are not a threat ░░░░░░░░ women s sports CHANG ░░░░░░░░ over While the science ░░░░░░░░ transgender athletes is new ░░░░░░░░ evolving some medical experts ░░░░░░░░ the effects of higher ░░░░░░░░ during male puberty may ░░░░░░░░ be fully erased CHANG ░░░░░░░░ are the physical aspects ░░░░░░░░ trans women may not ░░░░░░░░ able to roll back ░░░░░░░░ hormone therapy JOYNER Obviously ░░░░░░░░ related to body size ░░░░░░░░ size hand size foot ░░░░░░░░ perhaps bone density and ░░░░░░░░ forth but I think ░░░░░░░░ main thing is just ░░░░░░░░ interactions of exercise training ░░░░░░░░ skeletal muscle CHANG Are ░░░░░░░░ saying that years of ░░░░░░░░ therapy cannot put trans ░░░░░░░░ in a place to ░░░░░░░░ with cisgendered women JOYNER ░░░░░░░░ think the evidence so ░░░░░░░░ would suggest a period ░░░░░░░░ two years three years ░░░░░░░░ years is probably insufficient ░░░░░░░░ There is this concept ░░░░░░░░ the legacy effects of ░░░░░░░░ and that that can ░░░░░░░░ ever be zero Should ░░░░░░░░ eliminate or disqualify transgender ░░░░░░░░ Thomas I m not ░░░░░░░░ medical expert but there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of variation ░░░░░░░░ cis female athletes There ░░░░░░░░ cis women who are ░░░░░░░░ tall and very muscular ░░░░░░░░ have more testosterone than ░░░░░░░░ cis woman and should ░░░░░░░░ then also disqualify them ░░░░░░░░ voice over In January ░░░░░░░░ NCAA updated its eligibility ░░░░░░░░ saying each sport s ░░░░░░░░ body could make their ░░░░░░░░ rules later clarifying it ░░░░░░░░ t impose the new ░░░░░░░░ midseason clearing the way ░░░░░░░░ Thomas to compete at ░░░░░░░░ NCAAs Thomas It was ░░░░░░░░ incredible experience to be ░░░░░░░░ to fulfill that personal ░░░░░░░░ and be at that ░░░░░░░░ as well as competing ░░░░░░░░ my authentic self was ░░░░░░░░ such an amazing experience ░░░░░░░░ have these things that ░░░░░░░░ ve been working towards ░░░░░░░░ so long all come ░░░░░░░░ CHANG Are there Olympics ░░░░░░░░ your future Thomas It ░░░░░░░░ been a goal of ░░░░░░░░ to go to the ░░░░░░░░ trials for a very ░░░░░░░░ time and I would ░░░░░░░░ to see that through.”