Lia Thomas: Latest News

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 8: Lia Thomas of the Pennsylvania Quakers is congratulated by a fellow competitor after winning the 200 meter freestyle event during a tri-meet against the Yale Bulldogs and the Dartmouth Big Green at Sheerr Pool on the cam PHILADELPHIA - Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas said she intends to keep competing, with the ultimate goal of reaching the Olympics.In an interview that aired Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Thomas also disputed those who say she has an unfair biological edge that ruins the integrity of women's athletics."Trans women are not a threat to women’s sports," she said.Thomas became a leading symbol of transgender athletes — stirring both opposition and support — when she joined the Penn women's swim team after competing for three years on the men's squad at the Ivy League school.In March, Thomas won the women's 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA championships in Atlanta, becoming the first transgender woman to claim a national title in swimming. She has since graduated from Penn and plans to attend law school, in addition to pursuing her goal of qualifying for the 2024 U.S.

PHOENIX - Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has signed bills banning transgender girls from playing on girls' sports teams and prohibiting gender reassignment surgeries for minors.The governor described Senate bills 1138 and 1165 as legislation to "protect female athletes" and "to ensure that individuals undergoing irreversible gender reassignment surgery are of adult age.""This legislation is common-sense and narrowly-targeted to address these two specific issues ⁠— while ensuring that transgender individuals continue to receive the same dignity, respect and kindness as every individual in our society," Ducey said in a Twitter thread.Two GOP governors last week bucked conservatives in their party and vetoed bills in Indiana and Utah requiring trans girls to play on boys sports teams.Republicans have said blocking transgender players from girls sports teams would protect the integrity of women’s sports, fearing that trans athletes would have an advantage.Many point to the transgender collegiate swimmer Lia Thomas, who won an individual title at the NCAA Women’s Division I Swimming and Diving Championship last week.But there are few trans athletes in Arizona schools.

PHOENIX - Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has signed bills banning transgender girls from playing on girls' sports teams and prohibiting gender reassignment surgeries for minors.The governor described Senate bills 1138 and 1165 as legislation to "protect female athletes" and "to ensure that individuals undergoing irreversible gender reassignment surgery are of adult age.""This legislation is common-sense and narrowly-targeted to address these two specific issues ⁠— while ensuring that transgender individuals continue to receive the same dignity, respect and kindness as every individual in our society," Ducey said in a Twitter thread.Two GOP governors last week bucked conservatives in their party and vetoed bills in Indiana and Utah requiring trans girls to play on boys sports teams.Republicans have said blocking transgender players from girls sports teams would protect the integrity of women’s sports, fearing that trans athletes would have an advantage.Many point to the transgender collegiate swimmer Lia Thomas, who won an individual title at the NCAA Women’s Division I Swimming and Diving Championship last week.But there are few trans athletes in Arizona schools.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A Republican proposal to prevent transgender girls from competing in girls' school sports passed the Pennsylvania House Education Committee on Tuesday, over Democratic opposition.The 15-9 party-line vote advanced the "Save Women's Sports Act" bill so it can be considered by the GOP-majority chamber. It would restrict players to male or female teams based on their reproductive organs, biology or genetics at birth.The bill says athletic teams designated for women or girls may not be open to "students of the male sex," and would give students and schools a route to sue if they feel harmed by violations of that rule.

SARASOTA, Fla. - In a proclamation, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a Sarasota woman to be the "real" winner of a 500-yard freestyle event held last week. The top spot in the NCAA Division I swimming event went to University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who was deemed the first known transgender woman to win the title.

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 17: University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas reacts after winning the 500 Freestyle prelims during the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 17th, 2022 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta Georgia. (Photo by Ric ATLANTA - Lia Thomas took control in the final 100 yards of the 500-yard freestyle to make history Thursday as the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship.Thomas, the University of Pennsylvania senior who entered the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships as the top seed, had a season-best time of 4 minutes, 33.24 seconds."I didn’t have a whole lot of expectation for this meet," said Thomas, a former male swimmer for Penn State.

CAMBRIDGE, MA - FEBRUARY 17: University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas smiles on the podium after winning the 500 freestyle during the 2022 Ivy League Womens Swimming and Diving Championships at Blodgett Pool on February 17, 2022 in Cambridge, Ma CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - There isn’t much to indicate anything other than a typical college swim meet is taking place this week at Harvard University’s Blodgett Pool.No demonstrations or protests outside the building. But there is evidence of the discussion surrounding the sport during the past year.An "8 Against Hate" sign is displayed above the pool between flags representing each of the schools competing in the Ivy League women’s swimming championship.

Lia Thomas of the Pennsylvania Quakers smiles after winning the 200 meter freestyle event during a tri-meet against the Yale Bulldogs and the Dartmouth Big Green at Sheerr Pool on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania on January 8, 2022 in Phi (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The University of Pennsylvania said it will work with the NCAA under its newly adopted standards for transgender athletes.Swimmer Lia Thomas, who competed for the men's team at Penn before transitioning, has qualified to compete in March at the 2022 NCAA swimming and diving championships. She is set to race in the women's 200-yard, 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle."Penn Athletics is aware of the NCAA’s new transgender participation policy," the Ivy League school said Thursday in a statement.

Lia Thomas of the Pennsylvania Quakers swims in the 500 meter freestyle event during a tri-meet against the Yale Bulldogs and the Dartmouth Big Green at Sheerr Pool on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania on January 8, 2022 in Philadelphia, P INDIANAPOLIS -  The NCAA has adopted a sport-by-sport approach for transgender athletes, bringing the organization in line with the U.S. and International Olympic Committees.Under the new guidelines, approved by the NCAA Board of Governors on Wednesday, transgender participation for each sport will be determined by the policy for the sport's national governing body, subject to review and recommendation by an NCAA committee to the Board of Governors.When there is no national governing body, that sport’s international federation policy would be in place.