Activist suggests female athletes boycott sports to prevent transgender biological males from competing.

Former Swimmer Calls for Boycotts Against Transgender Athletes

Female Swimmers Should Boycott, Says Riley Gaines

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines has called for female swimmers to boycott races against biological men, such as transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Speaking at the “Our Spaces/Our Sports: Women Hold the Line” event in Nashville, Gaines said that boycotting is an effective way to make change. Gaines began speaking about the need to keep biological males from competing in female sports after Lia Thomas began leaving top female swimmers in his wake at NCAA events.

Transgenderism Poses a Threat to Women’s Rights

Activists Amy Sousa and Kay Yang also spoke at the event about the threat transgenderism poses against women and women’s rights. Gaines shared her experience of discovering that the NCAA was making her swim against a man. She and other swimmers didn’t boycott the first time because it took them off guard. She decided to swim, but not step up to the podium to accept an award if she finished at or near the top.

The Sacrifices of a Champion

For Gaines, racing against Thomas marked a strange end to a life of competitive swimming that started when she was five. By the time she reached college, she was spending six hours swimming every day. This life-altering dedication is normal for top swimmers, Gaines said. The pool of women living this lifestyle is so small that top swimmers know each other by name.

A Shocking Discovery

When Thomas started breaking records with all the advantages of male puberty, Gaines said she was shocked that a new swimmer could compete with athletes who had trained extensively for years. Then she discovered Thomas was a man. He’d been a mediocre athlete in men’s sports, Gaines said. But in women’s sports, he was a prodigy. Thomas dominated every event from the 100-meter swim to the mile.

No Women’s Spaces

Gaines and other female swimmers had to share a locker room with Thomas. To get into extra-tight hydrodynamic swimsuits, professional swimmers have to get naked, then slowly pull the swimsuit over every roll of skin, Gaines said. The process can take as long as 15 minutes, she said. At the NCAA finals, Gaines noticed the locker room had fallen silent. She turned around to see Thomas, with his male genitalia exposed, watching her fellow athletes strip to put on suits.

Grooming

There’s a word for the transgender push for men who say they are women to enter women’s spaces, said Sousa, a psychologist. That word is “grooming.” “Grooming is the use of charm to normalize and desensitize against increasing boundary violations over time,” Sousa said.

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