Former All-American swimmer Riley Gaines slammed ex-college swim champ Lia Thomas over the trans athlete’s vocal stance on the Biden administration’s proposed changes to Title IX.
Biden, the 80-year-old Democrat, announced that his administration wants to establish that outright bans on transgender athletes would violate Title IX, the NY Post reports.
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However, schools that grab up federal dollars could still enact policies that limit transgender students’ participation, specifically in high school and college sports.
Thomas, a transgender woman who swam for the women’s swim team at the University of Pennsylvania, supported part of the new rule but said it was not enough in an Instagram video she posted Monday.
“This rule is a good start. However, it is not enough. During this time of intense anti-trans backlash, the trans community needs explicit protection from discrimination in order to live our lives freely and equally,” Thomas said.
Her problem is that the rule would not prevent discrimination against trans kids at the “high school and college levels under the guise of competitive fairness.”
She also said growing up swimming provided her with numerous opportunities and it “breaks my heart to see trans kids across the country lose out on these opportunities.”
Gaines, who competed for the University of Kentucky and raced against Thomas, slammed the comments in a tweet she posted Tuesday.
“Under the guise of competitive fairness? Are you really trying to say you would have won a national title against the men?” Gaines said.
“Does it not break your heart to see women lose out on these opportunities? The Biden Admins proposed bill denies science, truth, and common sense.”
Gaines also said Thomas’ “take is selfish and shows an utter disregard for women. The Biden Administration is actively and aggressively working to pass laws that erase decent and fair treatment for women in sports.”
Thomas previously competed for the men’s swim team at UPenn before she swam for the women’s team in her senior year of college.
Thomas dominated the field and was the first trans athlete to be named Division I NCAA champion.
Gaines also displayed excellence, swimming to several All-American titles and conference championships for Kentucky.
Biden’s proposal makes it harder for schools to prohibit a transgender girl in elementary school but would leave room for schools to stop trans athletes from joining teams on more competitive sports to avoid sports-related injuries and ensure fairness.
The potential rule still faces a lengthy approval process.
This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.
