Lia Thomas' ex-teammate pushes back on White House rhetoric
Paula Scanlan, former teammate of trans swimmer Lia Thomas, speaks out about competing against biological men on 'America's Newsroom' during National Women's Sports Week.
Lia Thomas, the transgender athlete who won a women's NCAA Division I championship in 2022, was photographed wearing an Antifa shirt, according to a report Monday.
It said, "Antifa Super Soldier." Thomas' representative was contacted for comment and did not immediately respond.
Thomas grabbed national headlines after winning the NCAA Division I championship in 2022. Thomas has since called out "anti-feminists" for pushing purported "transphobic beliefs" by showing "half support" transgender inclusion in female sports. Thomas' teammates have come forward to vocally express opposition to Thomas being on their team.
Riley Gaines, who lost to Thomas, said about the "Antifa" shirt, "Doesn't this make so much sense…"
Lia Thomas captured in an Antifa shirt, according to a report. (Getty )
"I haven't specifically bashed Lia Thomas on anything (other than calling him an entitled narcissist which I stand by) because ultimately he was following the rules in place. But this is disturbing," she continued.
Gaines has been one of the most outspoken critics of UPenn including Thomas on the female team.
"[N]ot only were we forced to race against a male, we were forced to change in the locker room with one… And so then we're sitting there not even knowing who to talk to, who to complain to, because this kind of all happened behind the scenes and very discreetly."
Former teammate, Paula Scanlan, said the University of Pennsylvania "wanted us to be quiet, and they did it in a very effective way."
Lia Thomas' former teammate, Paula Scanlan, alleges the University of Pennsylvania tried to silence dissenting voices from the female team about trans inclusion. (Screenshot/Twitter)
"They continued to tell us that our opinions were wrong and that if we had an issue with it, we were the problem. And it’s frightening, and your future job is on the line," she said.
"And after that point, no one would talk about it anymore," Scanlan continued. "They effectively silenced us even within talking to each other."
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Scanlan then described being uncomfortable changing in the locker room with a biological male.
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"For me personally, the biggest thing was just when you’re changing and there’s all these people talking in the background – you hear all these women’s voices, and then all the sudden you hear a man's voice – I would always kind of jump a little bit," she said. "I would jump and realize actually that’s a person on my team speaking. It’s actually just someone who sounds very masculine."
Fox News' Ryan Morik and Joe Morgan contributed to this report.
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