Lia Thomas Controversy Continues: Her Colleagues Are Uncomfortable Sharing Changing Room With Transgender Swimmers

Lia Thomas (Instagram @liathomas)

JAKARTA - Since Lia Thomas transitioned from male to female in 2019, this swimmer has caused controversy over her eligibility to compete in the women's swimming competition.

Despite following all gender-related policies to qualify to compete as a woman in the NCAA swim, Thomas has received a lot of criticism for being accused of having an advantage over her real gender.

In the latest development of the story, Riley Gaines - a swimmer on the University of Kentucky swim team - said she felt uncomfortable sharing a dressing room with Thomas.

"It's not something we warned you about beforehand, which I don't think is correct in any way, changing clothes in the locker room with someone who has a different share," Gaines said on the Tucker Carlson talk show Tucker Carlson Today. July 29.

"So not only were we forced to race against a man, we were also forced to change clothes in the locker room with a man.

"Then we sat there not even knowing who to talk to, who to complain to, because all this was happening behind the scenes and very quietly."

Gaines has previously raised concerns about his rivalry with Thomas, voicing his opinion at the Carlson show earlier this year.

"We're up against something that's completely out of our control when we're racing, biological men," Gaines said in April.

“Do they have different lung capacities; height; testosterone levels, whether they have used a testosterone blocker or not – it doesn't suppress through puberty as men do. Especially Lia who swam for three years as a boy.

"It's really unfair and it's really a matter of equality."