Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was nominated for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award and not everyone is thrilled about it.
According to the NCAA website, the award “recognizes female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers.”
Kim Jones, the mother of an Ivy League swimmer, spoke out against the nomination during an interview with Fox News.
She told the network the nomination is “humiliating” and “devastating.”
Jones explained, “[The message is] they’re not even worthy of dignity and comfort in their locker rooms. And this nomination is just the embodiment of that message.”
She continued, “It’s really frustrating to understand where the current NCAA and Ivy League and especially Penn’s stance is on the value of women in modern society.”
Jones argued when biological males compete against women, the countless hours athletes spend training is “dismissed.”
“That’s what all that effort, all those hours, all that hard work and the journey that was supposed to be so empowering and fulfilling has been reduced to something that people think is a sideshow. It’s really frustrating,” Jones said.
She was not the only one to criticize the decision.
Several critics took to Twitter to express their disappointment and mockery with the decision.
Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) tweeted, “Round of applause for those who have the courage to stand against the destruction of women’s sports by biological men! Those who are pushing this nonsense are complicit with silence and should ABSOLUTELY be ashamed of themselves.”
Round of applause for those who have the courage to stand against the destruction of women's sports by biological men! Those who are pushing this nonsense are complicit with silence and should ABSOLUTELY be ashamed of themselves.https://t.co/QURL0vtYJ2
— Burgess Owens (@BurgessOwens) July 18, 2022
Conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey suggested people have to “laugh at the audacity of our current dystopia. Rest assured that the harder they push this stuff, the harder the pendulum will swing back. And it will swing back—sooner than you think.”
NCAA dubs “Lia” Thomas “woman” of the year. You have the laugh at the audacity of our current dystopia. Rest assured that the harder they push this stuff, the harder the pendulum will swing back. And it will swing back—sooner than you think.
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) July 16, 2022
Check out more reactions below:
https://twitter.com/scrowder/status/1548318344104710147
Penn nominated transgender swimmer Lia Thomas as their NCAA woman of the year. Hell of an accomplishment to be woman of the year after only being a woman for a couple of years. https://t.co/gW3acTQ1Jl
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 15, 2022
Man, that Lia Thomas really got some balls on her going up for Woman of the Year!
— Lavern Spicer 🇺🇸 (@lavern_spicer) July 17, 2022
Transgender swimmer Lea Thomas should not be allowed to compete against other women. Yes, I unequivocally support equal rights for the sexes. But, in this case, Thomas despite pharmacological therapy maintains a physical advantage. https://t.co/c8k8EYSPcl
— Gary R'nel (@GaryRnel) July 18, 2022
What an achievement!
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) July 16, 2022
Lia Thomas nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year despite being biological malehttps://t.co/3PyWNqFfjM
This is a MAN being nominated for Woman of the Year.
— Lisa Matassa (@Lisa_Matassa) July 16, 2022
WTF is wrong with this country? They are intentionally trying to make us the laughingstock of the world. https://t.co/o4NWVFFW52
In a direct attack on its female athletes, UPenn suggests transgendered person as NCAA Woman of the Year Award. https://t.co/WlIcVXFXbv
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) July 15, 2022
Earlier this year, Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win a Division I championship.