Current Events > Swimmer Lia Thomas says trans sports ban 'a gut punch'

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https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/10/21/lia-thomas-gut-punch-comments/

Lia Thomas has described policies that ban trans athletes from competitive sports as a gut punch. The trans swimmer was commenting on World Aquatics decision to effectively bar trans women from the womens category. The governing body, formerly known as FINA, adopted a policy in 2022 which decreed that transgender women who wanted to compete in events must have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond tanner stage two, or before [the] age [of] 12. Those who fail to meet that level can swim in the open category or mens competitions. Critics of the policy, including Thomas, have said it was nearly impossible for trans women to meet the regulations. Thomas lost a legal battle against World Aquatics last year when the International Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the governing body could continue implementing restrictions. Speaking to Whyy earlier this month, Thomas admitted the defeat continued to sting. It was a gut punch and it still hits me sometimes, she said. Its aching grief at not being able to do the sport that I love.

After becoming the first out trans athlete to win a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division One championship in 2022, Thomas faced transphobic comments from right-wing pundits, who mocked and verbally abused her. Riley Gaines, who tied for fifth place with Thomas during the 200-yard freestyle in the same year, advocates for trans exclusionary policies across all sports, and in public life, even claiming in 2023 that transgender women had an advantage in chess. Despite the difficulties shes faced, Thomas has refused to back down and would do it all over again in a heartbeat, saying: Theres just no substitute to living and being your authentic self. It unfortunately takes courage because of the many difficulties there are surrounding being openly trans, especially being an openly trans athlete, but its absolutely worth it. Transphobia, and particularly trans-misogyny, reek of hypocrisy, she added. You dont get to say: You can be a woman in these situations, but not in these, because you would never do that to a cis woman. A lot of people think: Its OK that I can sort of be the arbiter and pick and choose when I see [transgender women] as women.

BlueTigerLion posted...

Riley Gaines, who tied for fifth place with Thomas during the 200-yard freestyle in the same year,

Oh no, if it weren't for the trans swimmer, Riley would have gone from fifth place allllllllllllllllllllllll the way to...

Fifth place.

DrizztLink posted...

Oh no, if it weren't for the trans swimmer, Riley would have gone from fifth place allllllllllllllllllllllll the way to...

Fifth place.

Its really funny how so many of the people who are complaining about trans athletes.. very often weren't anywhere close to first(and neither was the Trans Athlete) or are just labeling women as trans because they aren't feminine enough to them

Raiden2909 posted...

or are just labeling women as trans because they aren't feminine enough to them

Yea like that woman boxer in the Olympics. She didn't look feminine enough for conservatives so they called her trans, and she actually isn't. She was born female and identifies as female. But conservatives to this day still frame that fight as a man beating up a woman. When it was a legal olympic boxing match between 2 women

Zikten posted...

Yea like that woman boxer in the Olympics. She didn't look feminine enough for conservatives so they called her trans, and she actually isn't. She was born female and identifies as female.

She also comes from a country that is substantially more likely to imprison a trans citizen rather than make them a national representative.

Zikten posted...

Yea like that woman boxer in the Olympics. She didn't look feminine enough for conservatives so they called her trans, and she actually isn't. She was born female and identifies as female. But conservatives to this day still frame that fight as a man beating up a woman. When it was a legal olympic boxing match between 2 women

Its almost like theyre trying to encourage her to actually be trans.

Even my conservative parents were flabbergasted by the boxer incident. They couldn't understand why a random woman was accused of being trans just because she was skilled.