A group of current and former college athletes, led by former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, has sued the NCAA over its policy allowing transgender athletes to compete. The lawsuit primarily focuses on the inclusion of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas (Penn) at the 2022 NCAA National Championships. Gaines, who has become a right-wing anti-trans advocate since graduating, finished joint fifth with Thomas in the 200-yard final. However, Gaines claimed she was excluded from celebrating because Thomas was handed the fifth-place trophy and not her. Another plaintiff is Tylor Mathieu (Florida). Mathieu finished 9th in 500 free qualification. This meant she missed out on the final, which Thomas won.
Of course, it's far from the first time Thomas has been the target of right-wing attacks. The right-wing media, Gaines included, lost their collective minds when it was reported that Thomas had been nominated for "NCAA Woman of the Year". Except she hadn't. She had been nominated as Penn's candidate for the Ivy League nomination but ultimately wasn't selected.
Brittney Griner Defends Inclusion Of Trans Athletes
Meanwhile, WNBA star Brittney Griner reiterated her support for the trans community. The press conference was also part of a launch of a campaign between the Mercury and the Bring Our Families Home campaign. Bring Our Families Home seeks to help free American political prisoners held overseas. Griner was freed after spending nine months in a Russian jail on drug charges. Furthermore, her imprisonment, which occurred days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, was widely seen as a political detention.
Griner, who is a cisgender woman, has long been an advocate for the rights of transgender athletes. When asked about the recently passed House bill, Griner said that she "definitely will be speaking up against that legislation and that [trans ban] law expected to be passed.” Continuing, Griner said “Everyone deserves the right to play. I think it’s a crime to separate someone for any reason.” While not segregated because of her gender, Griner has experience on what it is like to be yourself. Identifying as lesbian, Griner was reportedly told by her college coach Kim Mulkey to not be openly gay while on her Baylor Bears squad.
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