A US university has made moves to ban transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and stripped her of her titles.
Donald Trump has been upfront about only recognizing two genders and made it public that he is against transgender rights.
His administration has successfully banned trans women from competing in women’s sports.
Some cis female athletes have since taken a stand against trans women in sports, including fencing and disc golf.
After a federal investigation that was instigated after Lia Thomas’ success in the sporting world, UPen has banned the swimmer and formally apologized to fellow athletes who lost out on medals and titles.
Their website has revoked Thomas’ record and acknowledged the newly-appointed winners.
It reads: “Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season.”
President J. Larry Jameson shared: “While Penn’s policies during the 2021-2022 swim season were in accordance with NCAA eligibility rules at the time, we acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules. We recognise this and will apologise to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time.”
Apology letters were sent out to athletes who lost to Thomas. Jameson went on: “Our commitment to ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment for all of our students is unwavering. At the same time, we must comply with federal requirements, including executive orders, and NCAA eligibility rules, so our teams and student-athletes may engage in competitive intercollegiate sports.”
Education secretary Linda McMahon also shared a statement: “The Department commends UPenn for rectifying its past harms against women and girls, and we will continue to fight relentlessly to restore Title IX’s (the prohibition of sex-based discrimination in schools or educational establishments) proper application and enforce it to the fullest extent of the law.”
