After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Lia Thomas, a biologically transgender swimmer and a champion in women’s swimming, had high aspirations. It was a dream to crush physically disabled women at the Olympics.
FINA, an international body that regulates women’s swimming has made Thomas’s career path more difficult.
World swimming’s governing body effectively banned transgender athletes from competing in women’s events.
“If you transition after the start of puberty, you have an advantage, which is unfair,” the spokesperson for FINA says. https://t.co/PC7Vwgm4Cs
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 19, 2022
The World Swimming governing body banned transgender swimmers from participating in women’s events Sunday.
FINA members voted 71.5% for its new “gender-inclusive policy”, which allows only swimmers who have transitioned from male to female competitions, at the extraordinary general congress.
This is not to say that people should be encouraged to make the transition before they turn 12. “This is not saying that people should transition before the age of 12.
This ruling is still a dumb decision by normal standards, so I hesitate to praise it. It doesn’t mean that a male “transitions”, before puberty, and is any less of a man. Nor does it negate all the biological benefits that go with that transition. It’s nice to see some semblances of sanity.
It is absurd to think that Thomas, a fully-formed male, has been able to compete with women. This is someone who decided suddenly that they were a “woman” a few years back. The physical dominance of Thomas is astonishing, and the NCAA should be embarrassed for allowing this to continue.
It’s not comforting that this decision was made by an international body. Thomas could have continued to abuse the system and the sport if the situation was left in the control of Americans, such as the NCAA. Ironically, it was a group of Eurotrash bureaucrats who did the right thing.
To return to the details, Thomas has two options. He can swim against males or he could choose to swim in an “open” division. This will likely cater to transgender people. I think that’s the right decision. This charade was impossible to continue, and Thomas is allowed to swim. Thomas can’t destroy women’s swimming by winning medals against 130-pound girls.
