Backlash to Transgender Swimmers

Philadelphia (ChurchMilitant.com) – In a swim meet between Yale, Penn State and Dartmouth on Saturday, Penn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who has been destroying his competition since joining the women’s swim team, met a formidable opponent in the 100-meter freestyle race.

Iszac Henig and Lia Thomas

While Thomas won two races, he was defeated in the 100-meter freestyle by Yale’s Iszac Henig, a transgender swimmer (biologically female) who is currently “transitioning” to male. Henig finished the 100-meter race in 49.57 seconds, beating Thomas’ time of 52.84 seconds.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, a Penn State parent (requesting anonymity) took exception to transgender competition: “I wasn’t prepared for that. Everything is messed up. I can’t wrap my head around this. The NCAA needs to do something about this. They need to put science into the decision and discussion.”

Spectators at the event told the Daily Mail that Henig, who underwent a double mastectomy to have her breasts removed, proceeded to pull the top of her swimsuit down to reveal her chest area following her 50-yard freestyle victory. 

In a New York Times article written in June, Henig claimed she was not using hormones and that she would continue to swim for the women’s team.

Henig wrote.”As a student-athlete, coming out as a trans guy put me in a weird position. I could start hormones to align more with myself or wait, transition socially and keep competing on a women’s swim team. I decided on the latter.”

“I value my contributions to the team and recognize that my boyhood doesn’t hinge on whether there’s more or less testosterone running through my veins,” continued Henig. “At least, that’s what I’ll try to remember when I put on the women’s swimsuit for the competition and am reminded of a self I no longer feel attached to.”

In October, Church Militant reported on a Republican-led push in Texas against transgenders competing in sports: 

Legislators in the Lone Star State have passed House Bill 25, “The Save Women’s Sports Bill,” protecting girls and young women from having to compete with biological males in K–12 sports. The Catholic governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, a Republican, is likely to sign the bill into law.

The Texas law is just the latest move in the culture war over so-called transgender students in sports. The law is being hailed by parents and female athletes and excoriated by leftists at the White House.

The bill … is designed to prevent biological males from infiltrating all-female teams and sporting events. It will enforce sex segregation in sports according to the sex on the athletes’ birth certificates (as opposed to the gender they choose to identify with).

Red states, however, are not immune from the encroachment of the transgender agenda. In April, North Dakota’s GOP governor Doug Burgum allowed biological men to participate in women’s sports by vetoing House Bill 1298. As Church Militant reported, the bill would have barred transgender individuals from competing with biological women in K–12 sports.

Political commentators have slammed the transgender swimmers at Penn State and Yale.

Pundit Lauren Chen said, “This is not a win for women’s sports. Thomas (biological male identifies as a woman) still won 2 of 4 races and broke 2 women’s records. Henig (biological female identifies as a man) won the other 2 races, but now calling this women’s winner a ‘woman’ is considered misgendering.”

YouTuber Olivia Rondeau tweeted, “You can take all the estrogen supplements you want, but you cannot deny that being born male affords you greater height, arm span, lung capacity, musculature, and other athletic qualities.”

Cynthia Millen, a USA Swimming official, quit her job last month over the presence of transgenders in the sport. She explained, “I can no longer participate in a sport which allows biological men to compete against women. Everything fair about swimming is being destroyed.”