EXCLUSIVE: ‘They’re afraid to be perceived as transphobic’: UPenn swimmers wanted to boycott final home meet over transgender teammate Lia Thomas crushing records but fear backlash and jeopardizing chances of making elite Ivy League squad
- Several swimmers on the University of Pennsylvania women’s team considered boycotting their final home meet of the season next week, DailyMail.com can reveal
- The boycott would be in protest over the advantages of transgender teammate Lia Thomas, who has crushed records since competing on the women’s team
- Thomas previously competed on the UPenn men’s swim team for three years as Will before transitioning
- The swimmers ultimately decided against a boycott, for fear that it would keep them out of the Ivy League championship in February
- They’ve discussed alternatives such as doing a false start or not swimming the event
- A source close to the team told DailyMail.com, ‘There is a feeling among some of the girls that they should make some sort of statement’
- ‘Knowing they do not have backing from the school or NCAA, they’re reluctant to jeopardize their opportunity to make the elite Ivy League squad,’ a source said
- A parent of a UPenn swimmer said, ‘It’s possible the swimmers may end up doing nothing because they are so afraid to be perceived as transphobic’
A group of swimmers on the University of Pennsylvania women’s team were so upset over the advantages of transgender teammate Lia Thomas they considered boycotting their final home meet of the season next week, DailyMail.com has learned.
‘They’ve been ignored by both Penn and the NCAA, and there is a feeling among some of the girls that they should make some sort of statement, seize the opportunity while they have a spotlight on them to make their feelings about the issue known,’ a source close to the team of 41 women told DailyMail.com.
They’ve been discussing various possibilities for protest at the January 8 meet, wanting to express their opposition to NCAA rules that allow Thomas to compete on the women’s team after completing one year of hormonal therapy, the source said.
They ultimately decided against a boycott, for fear that it would keep them out of the Ivy League championship, where the team’s top 17 swimmers – out of a total of 41 – will compete in February.
‘Knowing they do not have backing from the school or NCAA, they’re reluctant to jeopardize their opportunity to make the elite Ivy League squad,’ the source said.
Several swimmers on the University of Pennsylvania swim team considered boycotting their final home meet of the season over the advantages of transgender teammate Lia Thomas, who has crushed records since competing on the women’s team. Thomas is pictured cheering on her teammates
The swimmers ultimately decided against a boycott, for fear that it would keep them out of the Ivy League championship in February. UPenn’s Swimming and Diving team is pictured in January 2020 . Thomas is pictured in the back row, fifth from the left
A source told DailyMail.com that will be difficult because Thomas will likely blow away the competition. There’s also expectation that the crowd will react by cheering more for the second-place finisher than for Thomas, as occurred at the Zippy International
The team’s final home meet will be held at the university in downtown Philadelphia, where they’ll be competing against Dartmouth College.