Vassar student-athletes react to UPenn swimmers Title IX court case

A Title IX lawsuit involving former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas has sparked national debate over transgender participation in women’s collegiate athletics. But among the Vassar student-athletes interviewed, awareness of the case was limited, with many expressing uncertainty about how to balance the rights and experiences of transgender and female athletes. Lia Thomas is the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I National Championship. Thomas swam for UPenn, where she originally began competing on the men’s team from 2017 to 2020. After beginning her hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in 2019, Thomas was allowed to compete on the women’s team in March 2022. Three years after beginning HRT, Thomas won the women’s 500-yard freestyle, the first ever openly trans athlete to do so. Instead of being celebrated, her participation sparked debates about fairness and regulations in women’s sports.

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