Lia Thomas is an American transgender woman swimmer competing for the University of Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2022. She was the first transgender athlete to win the NCAA Division I national championship after triumphing at the women’s 500-yard freestyle event.

Why is Lia Thomas controversial in the United States?

Lia Thomas has been a subject of concern in the public debate on transgender women in sports. The main opposition for her critics was how she moved from the 65th position on the men’s team to the 1st position in the female team because of her biological advantage of transitioning from a male to a female.

Several athletes, including Riley Gaines, have stood firm against Lia Thomas or any other transgender athlete joining female sports in the name of equity in the game. The question of Thomas participating in women’s sports has been taken up by conservative factions of society and right-wing media to criticize Thomas immensely.

Is Lia Thomas supported in the United States for her cause?

Lia Thomas is vocal about changes to Title IX legislation in the United States and strongly opposes the currently tabled Protection of Women in Sports bill in Congress. She is also supported by other athletes such as Megan Rapinoe, Brooke Forde, and Sue Bird. Thomas believes transgender athletes have equal rights in every field, even sports. The Joe Biden administration has supported transgender athletes at all levels and plans to veto the bill passed by Congress, which plans to ban transgender women from female sports.