ExpressLane
Verified User
Virginia college swimmers reveal fight to keep trans athlete from joining women’s team after competing as male
A Virginia college’s female swim team says it feels cheated and abandoned at having to accept a transgender competitor who until recently had competed for the men’s team.
In a case being compared to the Lia Thomas controversy, the swimmer joined the women’s swim team at Roanoke College after sitting out the previous season during her transition, her teammates said in a news conference Thursday.
The captains of the sophomore, junior, and senior squads — Kate Pearson, 19, Lily Mullens, 20, and Bailey Gallagher, 21 — say it tore the team apart as they felt abandoned by the school and the NCAA.
Gallagher and Mullens said they both knew the trans swimmer — who was not identified — before her transition.
“I never expected to be blindsided by a teammate from the men’s team who now wanted to compete against me and my fellow swimmers and shatter our records,” Gallagher said, noting she was initially supportive of the trans swimmer’s transition.
“Why even try to swim when racing against a biological male?” Mullens asked. “Our defeat was written in biology.”
Mullens said everyone on the team was shocked and confused when their coach told them the trans swimmer would be coming aboard.
“We were all motivated to win this year after coming in second last year, and all that motivation disappeared when we discovered that a biological male would be joining the women’s team,” Mullens said.
The three captains held a meeting with the rest of the swimmers, who all agreed that they did not want the trans teammate to compete with them.
The women claim they felt pressured to stand by the transgender swimmer because she felt suicidal because of the efforts to oust her.
She has since withdrawn from the team.
“Our experience was an emotional rollercoaster ride that I don’t want any girl to ever go through with,” Pearson said, calling on the NCAA to regulate how trans athletes can compete in college sports. .........
https://nypost.com/2023/10/05/virginia-college-swim-teams-fight-to-stop-trans-athlete/
========================================
Good for these biological girls they deserve a safe place where they can compete fairly. The trans athlete attempted emotional blackmail with his suicide threat. Good on the girls for not yielding to it. Shame on the school and coaching staff for putting these biological girls in this position. I respect the biological girls for standing up for herself.
A Virginia college’s female swim team says it feels cheated and abandoned at having to accept a transgender competitor who until recently had competed for the men’s team.
In a case being compared to the Lia Thomas controversy, the swimmer joined the women’s swim team at Roanoke College after sitting out the previous season during her transition, her teammates said in a news conference Thursday.
The captains of the sophomore, junior, and senior squads — Kate Pearson, 19, Lily Mullens, 20, and Bailey Gallagher, 21 — say it tore the team apart as they felt abandoned by the school and the NCAA.
Gallagher and Mullens said they both knew the trans swimmer — who was not identified — before her transition.
“I never expected to be blindsided by a teammate from the men’s team who now wanted to compete against me and my fellow swimmers and shatter our records,” Gallagher said, noting she was initially supportive of the trans swimmer’s transition.
“Why even try to swim when racing against a biological male?” Mullens asked. “Our defeat was written in biology.”
Mullens said everyone on the team was shocked and confused when their coach told them the trans swimmer would be coming aboard.
“We were all motivated to win this year after coming in second last year, and all that motivation disappeared when we discovered that a biological male would be joining the women’s team,” Mullens said.
The three captains held a meeting with the rest of the swimmers, who all agreed that they did not want the trans teammate to compete with them.
The women claim they felt pressured to stand by the transgender swimmer because she felt suicidal because of the efforts to oust her.
She has since withdrawn from the team.
“Our experience was an emotional rollercoaster ride that I don’t want any girl to ever go through with,” Pearson said, calling on the NCAA to regulate how trans athletes can compete in college sports. .........
https://nypost.com/2023/10/05/virginia-college-swim-teams-fight-to-stop-trans-athlete/
========================================
Good for these biological girls they deserve a safe place where they can compete fairly. The trans athlete attempted emotional blackmail with his suicide threat. Good on the girls for not yielding to it. Shame on the school and coaching staff for putting these biological girls in this position. I respect the biological girls for standing up for herself.
