Lia Thomas, a member of the University of Pennsylvania Women’s Swimming Team, became the first openly transgender athlete to win the NCAA Division I National Title last week.
“I’m just focusing on swimming and trying to block everything else to get ready for the race,” Thomas said after the victory.
Thomas had previously swam in the men’s team at Penn because of the NCAA’s policy of requiring trans female athletes to receive a year of hormone-suppressing therapy.
This victory sparked a debate about transgender athletes in sports in the world of sports and politics, including the Minnesota governor’s election.
Dr. Scott Jensen, a candidate for Governor of Minnesota, said: Video shared in his campaign..
File-Ria Thomas, Pennsylvania awaits qualifying for the Women’s NCAA 500-yard Freestyle Swimming Championships on March 17, 2022 at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is jumping into a conversation about a transgender swimmer who won the college title by declaring the runner-up as a true winner. DeSantis has signed a declaration declaring Florida-born Emma Wyant the winner of the Women’s 500-yard Freestyle at the NCAA Women’s Tournament, not Lia Thomas. (AP Photo / John Bazemore, File)
Jensen posted that his administration “… will do everything on our own to prevent biological men from participating in women’s athletics.” This does not mean that we are not considerate of transgender individuals. “
More than eight years ago, the Minnesota State High School League passed a policy of “allowing all students with gender identity or expression to participate in athletics.”
When asked about this topic at a press conference, DFL Governor Tim Walz said, “Making the lives of children who already have incredibly high suicide rates, that is, those who want to be themselves with them, more difficult. I’m not worried about it. “
“This is not, and should not be, a partisan issue,” added Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “We want to make sure Minnesota is the best place to raise children. Anti-trans law is not a way to create such a nation.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox Transgender students refuse to play women’s sports On Tuesday, he will be the second Republican governor to reject such legislation this week. However, the Utah State Capitol is ready to revoke the veto.
The Governor of Utah said his move was aimed at protecting vulnerable children during a wave of similar laws passing in almost 12 states.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS contacted other candidates running for Governor of Minnesota and asked for their views on the issue of transgender athletes competing in sports. Below is the answer.
Senator Michelle Benson, Republican Governor Candidate:
“This should not be controversial. Women’s sports are for women. For biological women. In less than a century, women compete even on many athletic opportunities. And now there is a group of people who want to rob it. Let women compete fairly. “
Mayor of Lexington Mike Murphy, Republican Governor Candidate:
“As a defender of the First Amendment, everyone has the right to their beliefs and beliefs, although I personally believe that biological men should not participate in women’s sports. It is not my intention as governor to drive a wedge between Minnesota when our state has many important issues that need to be addressed: law and order, school choices, parents. Rights, budget surpluses, health obligations, safe elections, and the Minnesota economy all take precedence over the secondary issues that further divide us as a state. Enact. My intention is not to be a governor who uses presidential orders as a tool to avoid people’s voices. “
Republican Governor Candidate Neil Shah:
“Tim Waltz and the increasingly radical left are abandoning girls and women in the fight against fair and competitive women’s athletics. Women and men are fixed and immutable biological genders from conception. You need to compete on the basis of. “
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
