Parents of UPenn Swim Team Demand Rule Changes Over Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas

The outraged parents of University of Pennsylvania swimmers have called on the NCAA and officials at UPenn to make changes to the rules that allow transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to dominate the competition.

Biological-male Thomas competed as a man until last year, before switching to the female team and smashing several records.

โ€œAt stake here is the integrity of womenโ€™s sports,โ€ the parents wrote in a letter to the NCAA and UPenn.

โ€œThe precedent being set, one in which women do not have a protected and equitable space to compete, is a direct threat to female athletes in every sport.

โ€œWhat are the boundaries?

โ€œHow is this in line with the NCAAโ€™s commitment to providing a fair environment for student-athletes?

โ€œIt is the responsibility of the NCAA to address the matter with an official statement.

โ€œAs the governing body, it is unfair and irresponsible to leave the onus on Lia, Liaโ€™s teammates, Liaโ€™s coaches, UPenn athletics and the Ivy League.

โ€œAnd it is unfair and irresponsible to Lia to allow the media to dictate the narrative without the participation of the NCAA.โ€

One parent, who asked not to be identified told the DailyMail.com, said โ€œThe swimmers have mixed feelings.

โ€œMany of them want to speak up, but they donโ€™t because they believe theyโ€™ll be ostracized.

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โ€œEverybody is scared.

โ€œParents are also scared that the kids will be harmed.

โ€œWe are paying $80,000 for this school.

โ€œTheir life will be impacted.โ€

One mother told The Daily Mail: โ€œI think that transgender people have a right to compete, but they need to have their own league.

โ€œBeing fair to one group of people shouldnโ€™t take rights away from another group, and thatโ€™s whatโ€™s happening here.

โ€œThe NCAA obviously didnโ€™t think much about the rules they set.

โ€œItโ€™s not fair to the women on the team and itโ€™s not fair to Lia as well.

โ€œShe went through transition, and I admire her bravery.

โ€œBut the records she sets now are not valued records, female records.โ€

The letter was sent on Dec 5.

The NCAA did not respond but The University of Pennsylvania did:

โ€œPlease know that we fully support all our swimming student-athletes and want to help our community navigate Liaโ€™s success in the pool this winter.

Penn Athletics is committed to being a welcoming and inclusive environment for all our student-athletes, coaches and staff and we hold true to that commitment today and in the future.

โ€œWeโ€™ve encouraged our student-athletes to utilize the robust resources available to them at Penn, and Iโ€™d like to share them with you as well.โ€

According to the New York Post: โ€œIn the finals, Thomas notched a winning time of 4:34.06 โ€” good enough for a new Ivy League record. The swimmer continued smashing records on Saturday with a nearly 7-second victory in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:41.93 โ€” representing the fastest finish in the country, the school said.โ€

Lia Thomas said to Penn Today earlier: โ€œOne of my big concerns for trans people is feeling alone. Even if you donโ€™t pay attention to the news about states proposing and passing vicious anti-trans legislation, it can feel very lonely and overwhelming.

โ€œSwimming is a huge part of my life and who I am.

โ€œIโ€™ve been a swimmer since I was five years old.

โ€œThe process of coming out as being trans and continuing to swim was a lot of uncertainty and unknown around an area thatโ€™s usually really solid.

โ€œRealizing I was trans threw that into question. Was I going to keep swimming? What did that look like?

โ€œBeing trans has not affected my ability to do this sport and being able to continue is very rewarding,โ€ she said.

PennAthletics said:โ€โ€™Because of her strong swims in the 200 and 500 free this weekend, she will have a chance to become the first transgender student-athlete to be a Division I All American or even national champion.โ€

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