Transgender college swimmer Lia Thomas has become a conservative media lightning rod since joining the University of Pennsylvania women’s swim team last year. Everyone seems to have an opinion about the young athlete, including transphobic transwoman Caitlyn Jenner. Ugh.
Jenner was recently asked by The Daily Mail about what she thought of the 22-year-old swimmer being featured in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated and–surprise!–she was absolutely appalled by it.
“The world’s gone mad,” she said. “It was never meant to be like this.”
“I don’t think biological boys should compete in women’s sports. We have to protect women’s sports. That’s the bottom line.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Related: Caitlyn Jenner retweets transphobic tweet aimed at trans athletes
Jenner is nothing if not consistent on this issue.
During her ill-fated gubernatorial run in California last year, her two biggest campaign platforms were advocating for homeless people to shipped off to “big open fields” where they can’t “destroy” things and opposing trans athletes competing in sports.
In the interview, Jenner also noted that while Thomas might technically be “following the rules”, she believes “the rules have to change”, since they give certain athletes an unfair advantage over others.
“Here’s an example: I play golf and, seven years after my transition, I still have a big advantage over women players,” she explained.
“I’m 6ft 1in. I have longer arms than the ladies and I can outdrive them by a hundred yards. Even being off testosterone and on oestrogen for seven years now, what I’ve got left over is still more than they’ve ever had. So, it wouldn’t be fair.”
She added, “I’d feel bad taking a trophy away from one of the ladies at our club who really deserves it.”
But she didn’t stop there. Jenner then went on to question how Thomas “can be happy beating other girls under these circumstances.”
“You have to have a sense of personal responsibility. You can still enjoy sports but not play at a competitive level, right?”
What Jenner conveniently left out from her criticism of Thomas was the fact that, at the highly publicized January 2022 meet against University of Pennsylvania and Yale, she actually finished 6th place in the 100m freestyle race, losing to Iszac Henig, a female-to-male transitioning athlete.
The 72-year-old reality star, who is has been an outspoken advocate for transphobic comics Dave Chappelle and Joe Rogan and TERF children’s author JK Rowling, concluded the interview by suggesting that most trans people agree with her, but “there’s a fringe element of the trans community that has a big voice, and their mission is to shut down all other opinions.”
“I have a large platform, so nobody’s going to shut me up,” she said. “We can’t bow down to the woke people who want to change the world.”
According to Sports Illustrated, Thomas is now preparing to apply for law school and plans to swim at the 2024 Summer Olympics trials.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
kevininbuffalo
She’s right, so’s J.K. Rowling for that matter. No one here will admit the truth.
Bengali
Awww. A not-yet-out gay person, pretending to be straight but masquerading as gay is now against transgender folks. Shocking. When do you plan on actually coming out. It takes courage so many you never will…
mailliw110
Not even you?
Polaro
Kevin, you know you’re probably right when they resort to personal attacks. Lia Thomas is a perfect example of how unfair it is to allow trans women to dominate women’s sports. This opinion is not transphobic, it is just reality. Calling people transphobic that aren’t is just lazy, but that’s expected.
The Accidental Polemicist
Thomas competed on the men’s swimming team for three years before deciding he was a woman. During those three years, he was ranked a thoroughly unimpressive 462nd nationally. However, in his one year competing as a woman, he is the #1 ranked swimmer in the nation and on his way to becoming the greatest NCAA women’s swimmer of all time.
For those of us who love, admire and appreciate women, we would never think this is fair and equitable.
oddtop
I agree with Caitlin. There is no transitional sex. At this point in our time it is not possible nor likely desirable to alter our genetic code. With few exceptions XX and XY remain the sole determinate factor of one’s sex. There is no such thing as ‘trans’ sexuality.
MarcyMayer
As a transwoman, I agree with Jenner and Rowling.
Mister P
One might think this is a huge problem facing the world if one listens to Jenner or Rowling.
Bengali
Brucee Kardashian’s appearance always reminds me of Jack Lemmon in “Some Like It Hot”. Brucee K truly looks like a drag queen who got their “costume”
at a Walmart outlet. As for JK – hopefully people will get wise and stop buying her books as well as paying to watch any film with which she’s associated. Massive boycott of her would likely make studio heads rethink working with her.
SamB
A group of gay men are going to tell a trans woman that she is WRONG about what it means to be trans? I guess you all know better than her!
henare
frankly, she’s wrong about *everything* and nobody would give a crap if it weren’t for her grifter children …
SamB
So you agree with my statement, you, a gay (I’m assuming) man, knows more about being trans, than a trans woman?
shaunpaul1234
I didnt realize one of the meanings of bng trans is competeing on an uneven playing field
Basically cheating to win!!
Someone who does tht has low self-esteem issues, needs a physc EVALUATION!! And low self-respect!!
ZzBomb
Pretty sure Lia Thomas knows more about being trans than Caitlyn Jenner does since Lia didn’t transition b/c she was jealous of their ex-wife’s walk in closet.
SamB
ZzBomb: You’re abolutely right, Tia didn’t transition out of jealousy for clothes, she transitioned so she could win medals in a sport she was previously not very good at.
Halfnhalf
I’m a transwoman and I say she’s wrong. She’s wrong about everything, and an embarrassment to us. Most of us completely disagree with anything she says.
mailliw110
We also know better than a straight boy.
SamB
Halfnhalf: I’m not a Catilyn Jenner fan but she’s right about the sports. You don’t think a M to F trans athlete would have an advantage over a cis woman athlete?
Cam
I love how right wingers like you think that people will fall for your Republican identity politics.
Yeah, Caitlyn, who plays in women’s golft tournaments, and hits from the ladies tee says that other trans athletes can’t do the exact same thing she does. I’m calling her out on it.
And as always, your trolling is sad and weak.
SamB
Cam: 5 years ago. Maybe that’s when she realized it’s not a fair competition.
Eternal.Cowboy
Because you can’t make this up.
SamB starts off with:
“A group of gay men are going to tell a trans woman that she is WRONG about what it means to be trans? I guess you all know better than her!”
A transwoman enters the conversation and SamB jumps in to tell her she is wrong.
henare
more crap ? flushed out of the daily mail.
shaunpaul1234
For the first time EVER, im agreeing wth caitlyn!!
Theres upsides and downsides to everything we do in life
The downside, to bng a transwomen, u cnt compete in female competitive sports!!
She was 400th, (lia) so now shes #1 by a mile, shes despicable!!
Too bad shes sooo self-centered, such an egotistical, self-centered aHole, she knew as a man she wldnt make it
So, she said, ill compete against the women as part of a man!! Wth part of th mass of a man, tht th others dnt have!!
Hell, ill win it all!!
What a pice-of-EXCREMENT!!
Yes, im gay
But believe in an even playing field, FOR ALL!!
ZzBomb
Look at all the little right wing trolls here coming to trash on trans people. A subject and issue that has no bearing on their lives whatsoever but these people always need something to complain about. Ahhhhh I guess that’s life for the miserable among us.
white-queer-african
@ZzBomb, I cannot agree with you more. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if SamB et al has posted all the above comments. What a dreadful POS it is!
Lol. Lol. Lol.
moretruth
Out of control trans activism and nonsensical battles like this are bringing us all down. Every “Don’t say gay bill” owes gratitude to the handful of MtoF trans athletes pushing to compete. Few people are buying the BS. Whether it’s based on science or simply perception, this is a losing battle and its putting the rights of all LGBT people up for debate. It’s already hurting trans kids the most.
Polaro
The only trans person being trashed is Caitlyn. The irony isn’t lost on me. I see a difference of opinion on how to integrate trans women into women’s spaces. This has not been solved yet. Not that this group of Einsteins will figure it out.
djhachey2020
Funny I thought it would be doctors that would determine this through testosterone levels and physicality and tests in scientists know that thing they do where they study stuff maybe we should wait and see what happens because this is a new area that research has to be done in before you jump to conclusions and categorize everybody in your boxes all right. As for Kaitlyn regardless of how she identifies she’s a horrible human being and that’s all there is to be said about it. like honestly couple Olympic medals get your face on a weed box then say you speak for all trans people just because you have a bigger platform??? I beg to differ I don’t know one single trans person who feels the way that she does and I know many of them in my community as for gay men speaking for trans people that’s kind of the point but you trolls can keep on trying to pick trans people against other other other LGBTQ people because that’s your goal right don’t want us fighting together together we getting to woke, honey it’s called getting things done it’s about goddamn time. I think Jenner’s issues that he was top of this game as a man but she transitions so late She feels like she’s missing out where others can achieve Imagine competing in your sport with the body that you always thought you should have as, Opposed to working around with a body You were never really in tune with… As forever her abhorrent comments on homeless people and her complete lack of compassion and the fact that she’s a menace on four wheels I really have nothing else to say except that no amount of surgeries are changing her physical appearance of change the Complete trash that she is inside. Caitlins one of those people that would stand and watch an 80 year old fall flat flat on the floor and then turn away so she did not see the 80-year-old bleed. And that type of person will never be happy no matter how much they try to grasp everything for themselves.
shaunpaul1234
Stop exaggerating amaking this out to b an attack on trans people
The prblm is people lime u dnt allow someone to diagree wth someone who is trans
U dnt allow individual opinion
Gt ZOVER IT
NOBODY IS KNOCKING ONES TRANSNESS,Just th SELF-CENTERED INDIVIDUALNESS OF ONE TRANS PERSON
It must b th trans way or no-way
lmdoane55
Caitlin, darling, please just STFU and stop talking out your butt! don’t we all have more than enough going on in our lives besides trashing on trans athletes? I mean people are dying all over the world from bombs, COVID19 and lack of food and water and shelter. Not to mention that the Season 2 Finale of Euphoria was devastating and depressing… and like I can’t even with “her” xx
LaPerlaGirla
As a trans woman, I think this is a difficult and nuisanced discussion, something that Caitlyn should definitely steer clear of – kind of like the driver’s seat.
I believe that there are instances where it is acceptable and others where it really is not. If an individual begins transition before puberty, and they are medically transitioning with hormone blockers, their body isn’t exposed to androgen hormones. This does mostly have implications for male-to-female trans folk because of the effects of testosterone.
Theses girls might even be at a disadvantage compared to their afab counterparts, who might have higher levels of natural testosterone. A trans teen on blockers won’t have lengthening of limbs or development of muscle in ways different than their female peers.
Post-puberty trans athletes do have the advantage of developing with adnogenic hormones that benefit their skeletal and muscular systems to perform in advantageous ways. Even with introduction of estrogen and losing height, shoe size, and hand size, many of us are still taller and maybe have more reach, more jump, more span. So no matter how much someone practices, those are traits that can’t necessarily be overcome.
It’s a difficult call. I think, for me, sometimes there are sacrifices that have to be made for things we truly want. So maybe transition has to be delayed if a person loves to compete so much on a team and at a competitive level. Or as more and more younger people are allowed to be who they are, they can transition early, block sex hormones, and compete without any advantage.
I don’t think that people have as much problem in general with trans FTM. People generally disregard women, unless they think they might beat their boys and threaten their egos. In that case, they need to get over it.
Maybe all of it can be accounted for through testing of hormone levels, but I don’t think the optics of someone who matured as male, facing off against a cis-female, is equalized by that. I don’t want any of the community to give away our rights when they are true and equal, I am just not sure this is one that can be exactly equal or fair.
I would hope that these trans people could still find teams and outlets for their love of sports, through individual endeavors or co-Ed teams.
Jimmer
Wow! You said everything I have been thinking on this issue. It would be a level playing field if the MtoF person started with puberty blockers to avoid gaining the male musculoskeletal advantages male puberty may bring. I don’t have an opinion on Lia but, she should look into herself on whether her abilities are enhanced by going through male puberty.
These Republicans are using this to apply to their bigoted base. Trans kids in middle and high school should be allowed to play in the sport of their choice with the gender they identify.
And stop the BS about calling parental and medical support of trans children child abuse. I love Texas but we have some really evil Republicans here. Abbot sucks big donkey dongs.
Jaquelope
What gets me is that Bruce hadn’t transitioned during the Bobby Riggs-Billie Jean King tennis match competition where everyone said that Bobby, being a man (with bigger muscles and all) would beat Billie Jean without any trouble because a “mere woman” could never beat a man, but she beat him handily and decisively.
What is this? A rehash of that old argument? Caitlyn evidently doesn’t recall that time when Billie Jean handed Bobby his ass and shamed all the nay-sayers, proving them all wrong.
She needs to just STFU and go away. He didn’t even become an attractive woman when he transitioned.
The Accidental Polemicist
Are you kidding me? Seriously, Bobby Riggs was almost twice the age of Billie Jean King!
At the height of the Williams boom in 1998, an unofficial game took place in Australia after Serena and Venus claimed that no male player outside the top 200 could beat them.
Up stepped a German known as Karsten Braasch who was ranked 203rd in the world and after first beating Serena 6-1, he then disposed of Venus 6-2.
“I didn’t know it would be that difficult. I played shots that would have been winners on the women’s circuit and he got to them very easily,” said Serena.
“They wouldn’t have had a chance against anyone inside the top 500 because today I played like someone ranked 600th to keep it fun,” was Braasch’s assessment.
Today, it has been estimated that Serena Williams would be world ranked around 700th in the men’s circuit.
Cam
Since Republicans don’t know how to run a country, handle a budget, or defend America against people like Putin, they have to pretend that the biggest problem facing America is that a few trans people want to play sports or use a bathroom.
Pathetic bigots.
MarcyMayer
You’re in denial and absolutely ridiculous.
The debt is now over 20 Trillion dollars, Putin entered Ukraine on Biden’s watch – not Trump’s, and inflation, crime and the southern border is out of control, due to Joe Biden’s inept presidency.
barryaksarben
SHe starts out her transohobic rant by saying “the worlds gone mad” which most republicans say about transitioning at all including Bruce. He acts like he is the expert on transitioning. I will get the truth from people who transitioned for the right reason. Kaitlyn was just jealous of the Kardashians and felt left out of their party. Those women seem to pick mentally unstable men like Kanye. I have know mtf trans for years and never has one of these beautiful women told me they did it for an advantage in sports. This is a non-issue like CAM said that the republicans can titillate their deplorable base including our dear friend SAMB. Where you been sam, jail? transitioning? or harassing women who have zero interest in you being the INCEL you are. I had to laugh when Kaitlyn said most trans agree with her. That was some Trump level self-deception. It doesnt matter as no one cares what this pos thinks as proven by her election results. LAUGHABLE
stanhope
Why are you covering this lying, insignificant, dimwit? Nobody cares about her nor what she has to say.
Invader7
EXACTLY !
Polaro
Iszac Hening, the trans male swimmer still competes against women. Why not compete against men? Because he couldn’t make the men’s team. The biological differences can’t be erased, or in Iszac’s case, overcome. It is unfair and it is losing battle to fight, but that won’t many of you. Lia Thomas’ dominance is all the evidence needed to show how unfair it is.
Fahd
This is all a revived wedge issue presented by the Republican party to get the frightened, uneducated, electorate to the voting centers in 2022. Queerty is lazy (shocker) to just present the issue as Republicans have packaged it.
Sport competitions are not sacraments; each association or society sets their own rules for participants – that’s why the over-drugged Russians keep getting kicked out of the Olympics. Let the people who make the rules make them, and also make sure they are followed. If she doesn’t like it, stay on the golf course where I’m sure the dollars her ex-wife earned for her are the only thing that make her remotely accepted.
I can’t help believing that Jenner is “just” a heterosexual crossdresser who has gone full-time now that she’s in her retirement years; I don’t think she has a transgender sensibility or soul; certainly no empathy.
Do better on exposing the Republican wedge issue push during election time.
Thad
Oh, dear lord.
You’d think there were dozens of trans women taking all the honors in women’s sports. Women’s sports have so many more scholarships and financial advantage, anyway (sarcasm).
Sports has NEVER had a level playing field. Some athletes have natural physical advantages. Depending on the sport and position, training, hard work, and determination can make up for these advantages…or add to them.
You really believe Lia Thomas transitioned just for swimming glory? A better question is why she continues competitively swimming after transitioning. I bet her reasons include love of the sport, a competitive spirit, being part of a team, fitness, a desire to do one’s personal best, and a sense of achievement
And school sports in general need to accept trans student/athletes. With all the stress these kids may be dealing with, it’s quite brave for them to step out into the sports arena and a world that’s traditionally unaccepting.
The Accidental Polemicist
It doesn’t matter the personal intentions of Lia Thomas. What matters is providing a fair and equitable playing field for the participants.
Thomas competed on the men’s swimming team for three years before deciding he was a woman. During those three years, he was ranked a thoroughly unimpressive 462nd nationally.
THAT Steve
Nice of Jenner to do her part to try to distract public attention to Trump’s verbal fellatio of Putin and the party members who won’t condemn him.
Invader7
EXACTLY !
Iona Lexiss
If the media whore had any integrity or character she wouldn’t be giving an interview to the Daily Mail.
Polaro
Address her words, don’t just be a mean girl.
sfhairy
Yuck on the fact that I’m actually agreeing with this piece of trash. Unless hormone blockers are put in place before puberty, young trans men and women have a distinct advantage over non-trans athletes.
IvanPH
There is an inherent, unfair physical advantages that come from being male. It is wrong to assume that the male advantage comes solely from testosterone—and recent studies, including one in Sports Medicine in 2021, show that this isn’t the case. Although testosterone suppressants reduce some of the biological factors that give males an advantage (like haemoglobin levels), they do not have a marked effect on many other factors—including muscle strength, bone density, heart and lung capacities and the simple advantage of size (i.e. larger hands, feet). Male puberty provides advantages that simply can’t be undone.
Invader7
Who?
cuteguy
What happened to the ERA? It’s funny how Gloria Steinem and other feminists are so quiet on this matter. Women have fought for “equal rights” for decades and now when presented with this important matter, they fold like a cheap suit. How hypocritical are feminists that they won’t support a trans WOMAN.
whereshouldistart
Which one?
I will fully support a trans woman…
until she starts spewing shit that hurts other Trans men OR women.
Then all bets are off.