A USA Swimming official with three decades of experience in the sport recently resigned over swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender student-athlete.
Cynthia Millen submitted her resignation letter Dec. 17.
“I told my fellow officials that I can no longer participate in a sport which allows biological men to compete against women. Everything fair about swimming is being destroyed,” she stated, as reported Friday by Swimming World.
“It’s placing women who can never compete with a man at a gross disadvantage by basically … calling this person a female competitor. He’s not. It’s his body that will always be different and always be faster as a competitive swimmer. And it’s this great illusion that somehow, because he feels he’s a female, that he can be a female swimmer,” Millen told Fox News. “This is grossly unfair to all the women who have worked so hard. Women biologically will never be faster than men.”
WATCH:
Cynthia Millen, a USA Swimming Official who resigned days ago, speaks out against biological males competing in women’s sports:
“Bodies swim against bodies. Gender identities don’t swim.” pic.twitter.com/OXxW7AXDKW
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) December 23, 2021
Thomas came out as transgender in 2019 after competing for three years on the men’s swim team at the University of Pennsylvania. Since joining the women’s team, Thomas has shattered multiple records, winning one meet with the closest competitor 38 seconds behind, according to the New York Post. (RELATED: Trans Student Shatters Women’s Swimming Records After Switching From Men’s Team)
Millen hopes that by taking a stand, it will spur others to agree with her argument that Thomas has an unfair advantage over female competitors.