Lia Thomas

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Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas recently lost a legal challenge to overturn rules barring her from competing in women’s elite swimming races. But claims that she’s leaving the U.S. as a result aren’t true. 

"Lia Thomas declares: ‘In our country, only people like Butker have a place — I’m leaving the USA,’" a June 20 Facebook post said, referring to Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who gave a controversial college commencement speech in May urging women to be homemakers.

Will “Lia” Thomas, the male swimmer who thinks he’s a woman, will not be able to rob women of awards in the Olympics. In January, Townhall reported how Thomas was engaged in a “secret” legal battle in hopes of overturning a rule established by World Aquatics prohibiting males who think they’re “transgender” from competing against women. This week, the Associated Press broke that Thomas lost the legal challenge. Reportedly, the Court of Arbitration for Sport three-judge panel dismissed Thomas’ request or arbitration with the World Aquatics governing body (via AP):...

Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas has been the subject of several false claims that have drawn the attention of social media users critical of the athlete’s participation in women’s sports. Among them, circulating on a Facebook post: "The US Women’s team has made it clear they will resign immediately if the Olympic Committee allows Lia Thomas to try out." "‘We don’t need an outsider,’ the Coach stated," the April 30 post said. "‘We are champions solely composed of females. We don’t welcome male participation.’" This post was flagged as part of...

With the increase of men wanting to compete in women’s sports, it often seems like it’s women who hate women’s sports the most. Consider South Carolina women’s head basketball coach Dawn Staley and her recent comments that anyone “who considers themselves a woman” should be allowed to play in women’s sports. I asked South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley if she supports transgender women (biological males) playing women's college basketball. "If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to...

An Aug. 28 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a cutout photo of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.

“International Olympic Committee Issues Lifetime Ban For Lia Thomas,” reads text in the photo.

Many commenters took the post seriously.

“Finally a win for real girls competing!!!!” wrote one Facebook user.

“It should be this way across all women's category sports!!!” wrote another.

Claim: The NCAA stripped transgender swimmer Lia Thomas of her Division I national championship after “unfavorable” test results.

Rating: Labeled Satire

About this rating: On May 11, 2023, the website The Dunning-Kruger Times published an article claiming that the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) had decided to strip transgender swimmer Lia Thomas of her national championship title: 

NCAA Strips Lia Thomas Of National Championship After "Unfavorable" Test Results

Former champion swimmer Riley Gaines says she was ambushed and assaulted by trans rights activists at San Francisco State University (SFSU) on Thursday evening at an event where she was invited to speak.

Gaines has been an outspoken critic of transgender athletes competing in divisions in which they self-identify.

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines vowed to Fox News that she would not be silenced or deterred after her speech at San Francisco State University was violently disrupted by pro-transgender protesters.

"This does not deter me. This assures me that I am doing the right thing," she said Friday on "Tucker Carlson Tonight." "This will not silence me. When they want me to be silenced, it just means I need to speak louder."