{"id":1125281,"date":"2021-12-16T13:13:46","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T18:13:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1125281"},"modified":"2021-12-16T13:13:48","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T18:13:48","slug":"upenn-parents-plead-with-ncaa-to-change-rules-after-trans-swimmer-dominates-womens-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/upenn-parents-plead-with-ncaa-to-change-rules-after-trans-swimmer-dominates-womens-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"UPenn Parents Plead with NCAA to Change Rules After Trans Swimmer Dominates Women&#039;s Competition"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fupenn-parents-plead-with-ncaa-to-change-rules-after-trans-swimmer-dominates-womens-competition%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1125281&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Swim-640x335-1.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">Parents of the University of Pennsylvania women\u2019s swim team have written a letter urging the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to change its rules on transgender athletes in response to Lia Thomas \u2013 a biological male \u2013 dominating the competition.<\/p>\n<p>Obtained by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-10314225\/UPenn-parents-pen-poignant-letter-demanding-NCAA-change-rules-trans-swimmer-Lia-Thomas.html\"><em>Daily Mail<\/em><\/a>, the letter from the parents of 10 swimmers, sent on December 5, lamented that a new&nbsp;\u201cprecedent\u201d has been set that could potentially destroy female sports.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAt stake here is the integrity of women\u2019s sports,\u201d the letter said. \u201cThe precedent being set \u2013 one in which women do not have a protected and equitable space to compete \u2013 is a direct threat to female athletes in every sport. What are the boundaries? How is this in line with the NCAA\u2019s commitment to providing a fair environment for student-athletes?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The letter called on the NCAA to address the controversy instead of sweeping it under the rug and allowing Lia Thomas to take all the blame.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\u201cAs the governing body, it is unfair and irresponsible to leave the onus on Lia, Lia\u2019s teammates, Lia\u2019s coaches, UPenn athletics and the Ivy League. And it is unfair and irresponsible to Lia to allow the media to dictate the narrative without the participation of the NCAA,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The parents reportedly began banding together in October after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/sports\/2021\/12\/07\/trans-swimmer-crushes-womens-records-likely-win-ncaa-titles\/\">Lia\u2019s advantage<\/a> over the other swimmers became readily apparent. One mother told the <em>Daily Mail<\/em>&nbsp;that transgenders should have their own league to compete on an even playing field.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\u201cI think that transgender people have a right to compete, but they need to have their own league,\u201d the mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said. \u201cBeing fair to one group of people shouldn\u2019t take rights away from another group, and that\u2019s what\u2019s happening here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\u201cThe NCAA obviously didn\u2019t think much about the rules they set,\u201d she added. \u201cIt\u2019s not fair to the women on the team and it\u2019s not fair to Lia as well. She went through transition, and I admire her bravery. But the records she sets now are not valued records, female records.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Parents also said that many of the female swimmers feel conflicted, afraid to voice their misgivings due to the potential backlash. UPenn responded to the letter, emphasizing its desire for inclusiveness while pledging to help the female athletes \u201cnavigate\u201d Lia\u2019s success, which essentially means telling them to deal with it. The statement said:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"13\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Please know that we fully support all our swimming student-athletes and want to help our community navigate Lia\u2019s success in the pool this winter. Penn Athletics is committed to being a welcoming and inclusive environment for all our student-athletes, coaches and staff and we hold true to that commitment today and in the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">We\u2019ve encouraged our student-athletes to utilize the robust resources available to them at Penn, and I\u2019d like to share them with you as well.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Prior to joining the Penn women\u2019s swim team, Lia <a href=\"https:\/\/pennathletics.com\/sports\/mens-swimming-and-diving\/roster\/will-thomas\/14590\">competed<\/a> for the university\u2019s men\u2019s team for three seasons as Will Thomas. At the Akron Zippy Invitational earlier this month, Thomas <a href=\"https:\/\/www.outkick.com\/transgender-penn-swimmer-lia-thomas-smashes-more-records-at-akron-event-ncaa-titles-appear-certain\/\">won<\/a>&nbsp;the 1650 by a whopping 38 seconds over his teammate, setting \u201cPenn records along with meet and pool records,\u201d according to&nbsp;Outkick.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"8.3333333333333\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The women are in second place after day one of the Zippy Invitational.<\/p>\n<p>Lia Thomas set a pool and meet record in the 500 free!<\/p>\n<p>\u1f4f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8ECO8Dts6b\">https:\/\/t.co\/8ECO8Dts6b<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FightOnPenn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FightOnPenn<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4V4wjhnkOf\">pic.twitter.com\/4V4wjhnkOf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Penn Swimming &amp; Diving (@PennSwimDive) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PennSwimDive\/status\/1466951187127803912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 4, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Some female swimmers lamented that Thomas began&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/sports\/2021\/12\/13\/so-easy-i-was-cruising-trans-upenn-swimmer-bragged-about-beating-female-opponents\/\" target=\" _blank\" rel=\"noopener\">boasting&nbsp;<\/a>about the ease of his victory following the competition.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThat was so easy, I was cruising,\u201d a female swimmer reported Thomas as saying. \u201cAt least I\u2019m still No. 1 in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey feel so discouraged because no matter how much work they put in it, they\u2019re going to lose,\u201d another woman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/sports\/2021\/12\/07\/trans-swimmer-crushes-womens-records-likely-win-ncaa-titles\/\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In a statement this past April,&nbsp;the NCAA announced its unequivocal support for the transgender community and expressed no misgivings about the prospect of biological men outcompeting women in their chosen sport.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe NCAA Board of Governors firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports. This commitment is grounded in our values of inclusion and fair competition,\u201d the NCAA said.<\/p>\n<p>The NCAA then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/feature\/nbc-out\/trans-women-retain-athletic-edge-after-year-hormone-therapy-study-n1252764\">touted<\/a> the (highly questionable) concept of testosterone suppression as a valid equalizer for men competing in women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe NCAA has a&nbsp;long-standing policy&nbsp;that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.org\/about\/resources\/media-center\/news\/ncaa-board-of-governors-statement-on-transgender-participation\">provides<\/a> a more inclusive path for transgender participation in college sports,\u201d the NCAA says in its \u2018Statement on Transgender Participation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The statement further explains NCAA policy:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"15\">\n<p>Our approach \u2014 which requires testosterone suppression treatment for transgender women to compete in women\u2019s sports \u2014 embraces the evolving science on this issue and is anchored in participation policies of both the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.<\/p>\n<p>Inclusion and fairness can coexist for all student-athletes, including transgender athletes, at all levels of sport. Our clear expectation as the Association\u2019s top governing body is that all student-athletes will be treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to ensuring that NCAA championships are open for all who earn the right to compete in them.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The NCAA has not yet responded to the letter from parents of female UPenn swimmers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parents of the University of Pennsylvania women\u2019s swim team have written a letter urging the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to change its rules on transgender athletes in response to &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1125281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1125281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1125281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1125281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1125281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1125281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1125281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}