I don’t see how this ends
Honestly, I'm not convinced it WILL end
Well, it’s happening.
About a week ago, I wrote a rather melodramatic post at Not the Bee about what I saw as the looming crisis that would soon determine the future of women’s sports in America. It all entailed the exploits of a male swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania named Will Thomas, who after three years swimming for the Ivy League school’s men’s swim team, began taking testosterone suppressants, changed his name to Lia, and was admitted onto the school’s women’s swim team.
Since that time, Lia Thomas has set a barrage of school and conference records, and now as the NCAA championships begin to unfold, appears poised to capture every title he competes for, potentially setting records that will never be broken by actual females.
It’s fundamentally unfair. Rules separating male and female in athletic competitions are not discriminatory in the traditional sense. In reality, the sex distinctions such rules create actually protect and empower opportunities for accomplishment and achievement. I wrote in my article:
“As difficult as we're making it, there's truly only two options available for society to choose at this point. Either we agree with science that there is a physiological advantage that comes with being born male – a skeletal and muscular system that allows biological males to perform at a higher level than their female-bodied counterparts – or there is not.
If we agree that there is such an advantage, then it is fundamentally unfair and unjust to allow biological males to compete in divisions specifically established for female competitors. That doesn't discriminate against Thomas any more than it does every other biological male who have been given their own division in which to compete – the very division that Thomas competed successfully in for 3 years. What it does do is protect an even playing field for female athletes.
If we agree that there is no such advantage, however, then of course Thomas should be allowed to swim against females, as should all other biological males. If there is no inherent advantage for men, there is no longer any justification for women's divisions in athletics. No more red golf tees, no more WNBA, no more U.S. Women's Soccer – just golf tees, NBA, and professional soccer where the best athletes get to fill the roster.”
It seems that the officials, university presidents, and academics who lead the NCAA have made their choice, and I just can’t see how women’s sports will ever be the same. In the preliminary 500 freestyle event, this occurred:
A couple things to notice about this. If you don’t watch the full clip, you might not see it. But there is a LOT more power there for this male swimmer. The standard burst of energy that swimmers reserve for their final split is not visibly present. A closer look at split times shows an abnormal consistency in all phases of his race, signifying a swimmer that is on cruise control.
Secondly, notice the crowd reaction. Virtually no applause as Lia finishes, but an eruption after the 2nd and 3rd place finishers touch. It was even more noticeable at the awards ceremony:
Everyone knows this isn’t fair, isn’t legitimate, and isn’t moral. The fans clearly know. And they aren’t alone:
And there’s this:
The reporter saw that girl on the phone with her mom trying to work through that mixture of devastation, anger, and loss. And if you’re wondering why these swimmers didn’t speak out for themselves, this might help explain it:
That’s how the “adults in charge” are handling this travesty. Appease the anti-science minority in the name of inclusion, fairness, and equity. But though this is spun as some kind of open-minded tolerance, it is foolish cowardice. Afraid of being cancelled, of being dubbed insensitive and “transphobic,” this unjust treatment and disservice towards biological females continues unabated.
I don’t know when this ends. I don’t know how this ends. I don’t know if this ends.
But I do know it’s unjust and wrong, which is why I’m praying for Will “Lia” Thomas, praying for the disappointed young women he is muscling out of honors and opportunities, praying for the parents pursuing justice, praying for the academics who have allowed it all to happen, and praying for a culture that continues pretending it’s all okay.
It’s not.
ICYMI…
I just put together a video that documented the painful reality that “not being Trump” wasn’t a qualification for this job after all. You can see it here:
Also, you might want to read a couple of these recent columns I wrote this week:
Yes! This was excellent! And we need to remember to pray for Will as he has bought Satan's lies and fallen to cultural pressure, and we must pray and fight for those girls that are losing their ability to compete and achieve their dreams because of pathetic policy. And quite frankly, pray for those in charge of these policies to see their wrong doing and for our nation.
Thank you so much for using his ACTUAL pronouns as you wrote about Will Thomas. I’m so sick of the confusion over whom we’re referring to when we’re afraid to use a person’s actual pronouns in our writing. So once again, thank you. You have stood for clear communication, and we appreciate it!