The transgender collegiate swimmer Lia Thomas stated, “I am a woman, just like anybody else on the team,” in a Sports Illustrated interview. However, Lia is not a woman, nor is she similar to any other member of the women’s swimming squad. It is ludicrous to believe otherwise, and such discourse needs to end. It’s been going on for too long.
Lia is not a woman and never will be. Lia is free to refer to herself anyway she pleases. Lia is free to wear anything she likes. Lia is able to determine what she wants. However, Lia’s genitalia are male. Lia is a woman without breasts. Lia is unable to conceive or lay eggs. Lia doesn’t get monthly periods. Lia will not experience menopause. These are the biological expectations placed on women. These are actual facts. It’s science here. Furthermore, science can be trusted, as the last two years have shown us all.
Concerns should be raised about Lia’s announcement that she is a woman and the Sports Illustrated piece that followed, which celebrated it. It is not possible to truly transform from a male to a female simply by stating so. Adopting this kind of fantasy will hurt women in the long run. In the end, women will lose out on chances in every sphere of society as a result of it. It is a man’s decision to identify as female if he so chooses. The rights and prospects of real women must not be compromised by his choice to adopt a feminine identity. Lia Thomas should not have to endure hardship in order to identify as a real woman.
The swimmer stated in the interview, “I belong on the women’s team because I’m a woman.” “Transgender people should be treated with the same dignity as other athletes.” However, Lia’s anatomy and physiology demonstrate that she is not a woman. Other athletes do not typically compete against opponents who are biologically different, as far as respect is concerned. Furthermore, as they say, “respect is earned, not given.”
It is ludicrous for Lia to claim that she is “just like anybody else on the team.” For three years, no other member of the University of Pennsylvania’s female swimming squad competed on the men’s team. There was not another female with a male-like bone structure. No other female profited from having a higher proportion of skeletal muscle than male bodies in their post-pubescent stages. In relation to physical size, none of the other females had hearts as big as those of men. Finally, but most definitely not least, Lia Thomas had a height advantage over all the other female competitors.
Lia Thomas embodies the broader issue of entitlement that transgender individuals face in society. The transgender rights movement started out with the goal of achieving acceptance and equality. People battled to prevent discrimination and violations of their civil rights. But those times have passed. It has become a poisonous fight on favor of privilege and precedence. Acts like Lia Thomas declaring (and thinking) herself to be a woman, when that is definitely untrue, are encouraged by it.
In addition, despite her desire for respect, Lia has profited directly from treating her teammates disrespectfully. Because of Lia, they are no longer entitled to fair competition in sports. In their locker area, they no longer have the privilege to be shielded from male nudity. Lia’s faster times cost them the opportunity to be declared champions in other competitions. It’s true that you shouldn’t treat Lia disrespectfully. Lia Thomas must, however, show respect to others as well, particularly to the women who gave up their rights so Lia might succeed.
Lia Thomas’s situation highlights a significant cultural issue. People who identify as transgender shouldn’t experience any kind of harassment, discrimination, or civil rights violations. Transgender propaganda should not be permitted to undermine social standards or recreate science, but that is precisely what is happening. Equality and respect do not include defining pronouns, inventing new genders, redefining words in the English language, and demonizing anyone who disagrees. It’s the suppression of society.
Lia Thomas identifies as transgender; she is not a woman.
