The debate over the inclusion of transgender athletes in cisgender sports has been going on for a long time. On one end of the argument are the advocates who believe that trans women should be allowed to participate in female sports competitions and trans men should also be allowed to compete in male sports.
However, the opposing side not only cites biological differences but also their belief that trans and cisgenders should not be placed in the same category. Both sides have been battling it out, and no one seems to want to give up anytime soon. Lia Thomas, a swimmer, is one athlete who has been on the frontlines for this fight.
She is a transgender woman who believes that she should be able to participate in female sports as she identifies as a woman. While speaking to Sports Illustrated, Thomas asserted her identity as a woman and even equated herself to every one of her cisgender teammates. However, many people had an objection to this.
Those who strongly believe that trans athlete should not participate in cisgender sports majorly believe so because of the difference in their biological features. For example, men typically have stronger bones, higher endurance, and more strength and speed compared to women. When a man transitions into a trans woman, she keeps these biological features, making them a serious advantage over ciswomen.
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Therefore, people believe that it is unfair to those women who are now competing with a trans woman with the biological advantage of a man. This has further been proven by many occasions whereby a male who was not topping in his male team transitions to a woman and then begins to come out on top in the female team of the same sport.
This has happened with a couple of cyclists who were always performing poorly when they were on the male team but transitioned into women and began to come first place in almost every race against ciswomen. Therefore, people like Lia Thomas have faced a lot of criticism over the years for trying to compete with women.
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Since her arrival, Thomas has also been winning races and competitions, making other women on her team feel less than they are. Many believe that it is unfair to these women who have worked hard to get to where they are, only to be overshadowed by someone who has biological advantages on their side.
Several reports have also claimed that Thomas was terrible at swimming before transitioning and never used to win races or awards. However, this has been debunked several times as Thomas was always a good swimmer, even in the male division.
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According to sources, the only time Thomas saw a decline in performance was when she was placed on Hormone Replacement Therapy (RPT), which affected her performance.
Before transitioning, she ranked in the top 100 multiple times, was in the top ten, and also top two at the Ivy League Championships while she was in college. Therefore, advocates have argued that Thomas was going to be a good swimmer regardless of her gender, and she should be allowed to fully participate in female swimming competitions to further promote inclusivity.
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