This year at the Tokyo Olympics, I saw my wildest dreams come true as I stood on the podium, one of the gay silver medalists and one of the first women to swim in the 1,500-meter event. I feel incredibly grateful that coming out as a gay man never prevented me from being able to participate in the sport I love. All athletes – including transgender athletes – deserve to be respected and included, just as we are.
Throughout his life, swimming has allowed him to learn so much both in and out of the pool, and transgender athletes should not be excluded from this opportunity. All the days and nights we practiced, we learned the importance of hard work and discipline. The love and support of my teammates has taught me the strength to be a part of something bigger than just ourselves. And reaching the Olympics reminded me that athletes have a global voice, and that the world listens to what we have to say.
I got a platform to plead for my community, and I can not sit there quietly because I see the fundamental rights of a swimming colleague being put up for debate. Each swimmer embodies a diverse formation of identities and characteristics. What makes us all unique also contributes to our success in the pool. But no one questions the validity of how cisgender athletes’ unique characteristics and abilities, or who they are, contribute to their success. However, the University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas is unfairly targeted for just that – for being who she is, a transgender woman.
Like everyone else in this sport, Lia trained diligently to get where she is and followed all the rules and guidelines that were presented to her. Like everyone else in this sport, Lia does not win every time. And when she does, she deserves, like everyone else in this sport, to be celebrated for her hard-won success, not to be called a cheater simply because of her identity.
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The world is currently facing a multitude of crises that require our attention, time and energy. Millions of people in Ukraine and around the world are fighting for survival. Worldwide, there have been more than 6 million deaths due to COVID-19. What we need now more than ever is compassion, and to come together as a global community. And yet, this is the time when we here in the United States are wasting resources and dividing ourselves over a question that should have a simple answer: Should the transgender community be included and treated equally in all areas of life, including sports? Yes. Transgender athletes should not be denied the same rights compared to cisgender athletes.
Many of those who can compete against transgender athletes like Lia claim to “protect women’s sports.” As a woman in sports, I can tell you that I know the real dangers for women’s sports: sexual abuse and harassment, unequal pay and resources, and a lack of women in management. Transgender girls and women are nowhere on this list. Women’s sports are stronger when all women – including trans women – are protected from discrimination, and are free to be their true selves.
Forcing an athlete to hide a significant part of himself in order to participate is not a solution. If I stayed in the closet, my mental health would deteriorate, and I would not be able to perform at my best in my life. I do not want this for myself, nor for my teammates. We are at our best as a team – and as a global community of athletes – when we can all be ourselves.
I’m proud to be one of more than 300 NCAAs, Team USA and Olympic swimmers who signed an open letter to Schuyler Bailar and Athlete Ally to support Lia in all transgender and nonbinary swimming. At the NCAA Championships I look forward to Lia and all the amazing swimmers who make this sport great by being authentic and proud of themselves.
Erica Sullivan is an American Olympic swimmer who won the silver medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
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