The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to bar transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports after a federal investigation sparked by the participation of former swimmer Lia Thomas. The decision comes as part of a resolution with the U.S. Department of Education, which required the Ivy League school to both apologise and correct athletic records that were “misappropriated by male athletes.”

Lia Thomas spent 21 years of his life as a man.

He started competing against women in swimming this year and became a national champion.

Our daughter’s sports are not a plan B for failed male athletes.
pic.twitter.com/Lbtos3Ut6g

— American Principles Project (@approject) March 18, 2022

 

In a statement announcing the agreement, the department confirmed that UPenn must revise records from the 2021–22 season “to indicate who would now hold the records under current eligibility guidelines.” The university has not yet clarified whether the records held by Thomas—who became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title in 2022—will be deleted entirely.

 

 

Thomas' presence in collegiate swimming reignited a national debate over transgender inclusion in sports, especially following her dominant performances for UPenn’s women’s swim team after competing on the men’s team for three years. The university now says it will adopt “biology-based definitions” of male and female, a shift required under a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump shortly after returning to office.

 

“Today’s resolution agreement with UPenn is yet another example of the Trump effect in action,” said U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, UPenn has agreed both to apologize for its past Title IX violations and to ensure that women’s sports are protected at the university for future generations of female athletes.”

 

The Department of Education had previously launched several Title IX-related investigations into universities’ transgender policies, with UPenn among the most high-profile cases. Title IX is a 1972 federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded educational programs. Two months after initiating the investigation, the Trump administration temporarily withheld $175 million in federal funds from the university, citing its transgender athletics policy as the reason.

 

 

UPenn defended its past policies by pointing out that they aligned with NCAA eligibility standards at the time. “We acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules,” the university said in a statement. “We recognize this and will apologize to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time.”

 

Thomas began hormone therapy in 2019 before switching to compete on the women’s team, where she broke multiple school records and posted the fastest times for any female swimmer in the NCAA. She has since graduated and is no longer affiliated with the university’s athletics program.

 

Despite the controversy, Thomas previously stressed that her decision to transition was deeply personal, not competitive. “The biggest misconception, I think, is the reason I transitioned,” she told ABC and ESPN in 2022. “People will say, ‘Oh, she just transitioned so she would have an advantage, so she could win.’ I transitioned to be happy, to be true to myself.”

 

Last year, Thomas challenged World Aquatics’ ban on transgender women competing if they experienced any part of male puberty, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland dismissed her case.

 

The Human Rights Campaign, a prominent LGBTQ+ advocacy group, condemned the agreement. “The American people deserve a White House that is laser focused on making sure every student thrives,” said spokesman Brandon Wolf. “Instead, this administration is obsessed with making young people’s lives harder and scapegoating transgender people so they can attack independent institutions.”

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from NYP  2025-07-03

 

 

Win for Women, thanks to Donald Trump.

Absolutely disgusting it was ever allowed in the first place.

The real question is why this required an executive order to begin with?! It’s pathetic! It should’ve been obvious from the get-go!

10 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Win for Women, thanks to Donald Trump.

Agreed and common sense!!

I have two series of questions about this article, as well as the others regarding transgender athletes.

 

1. How are they going to determine the gender of a person? The article says they will use "biological definitions of male and female." What are they, and will all athletes who want to compete in women's sports be required to undergo tests or examinations to determine or verify their gender?

 

2. This article clearly states they will "bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports." What about men's sports? Can transgender athletes compete in men's sports? And, if so, why don't they change the designations to just "sports" and "women's sports"? 

10 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Win for Women, thanks to Donald Trump.

 

totally agree... great job Don. just waiting to see the bleeding heart lefties finding something wrong with this

22 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

The real question is why this required an executive order to begin with?! It’s pathetic! It should’ve been obvious from the get-go!

Blame it on the Constitution that does not allow discrimination based on gender.

But then Trump and his attorneys tell the courts F*** the Constitution.

13 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Blame it on the Constitution that does not allow discrimination based on gender.

But then Trump and his attorneys tell the courts F*** the Constitution.

 

so you agree that chicks with ducks should be allowed to compete against real chicks?

Keep these men away from women's sports, they are cheats an liars ffs you can see his muscles and cock!

36 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

I have two series of questions about this article, as well as the others regarding transgender athletes.

 

1. How are they going to determine the gender of a person? The article says they will use "biological definitions of male and female." What are they, and will all athletes who want to compete in women's sports be required to undergo tests or examinations to determine or verify their gender?

 

2. This article clearly states they will "bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports." What about men's sports? Can transgender athletes compete in men's sports? And, if so, why don't they change the designations to just "sports" and "women's sports"? 

 

You can determine sex with a simple test there are NO transgenders, its just not possible

31 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

But then Trump and his attorneys tell the courts F*** the Constitution.

That's something that, neither he, nor his lawyers have ever done...unless you've got empirical evidence to the contrary, of course.

I think the Democrats had to make the definition of male and female during Rep Chuck Schumer's insistence of a full reading of the latest Bill. Can be seen on Sky News.

1 hour ago, WDSmart said:

 

2. This article clearly states they will "bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports." What about men's sports? Can transgender athletes compete in men's sports? And, if so, why don't they change the designations to just "sports" and "women's sports"?

A woman is not going to be competitive in men's sports.

A woman who 'transitions' is not going to ruin the dreams of men who have trained all their lives to be the best at their sport. 

There is no need to ban women who transition to men. 

1 minute ago, CG1 Blue said:

A woman is not going to be competitive in men's sports.

A woman who 'transitions' is not going to ruin the dreams of men who have trained all their lives to be the best at their sport. 

There is no need to ban women who transition to men. 

So, are you saying that in "men's sports," there will be no gender qualifications? If so, then anyone can participate - men, transmen, transwomen, and women. Would there be no gender tests or examinations, then? If so, that's why I suggested they call the two classifications "sports," and only have another, limited type of sports called "women's (only) sports." 

12 hours ago, Social Media said:

“The biggest misconception, I think, is the reason I transitioned,” she told ABC and ESPN in 2022. “People will say, ‘Oh, she just transitioned so she would have an advantage, so she could win.’ I transitioned to be happy, to be true to myself.”

 

I don't believe her.

 

 

 

 

From https://www.si.com/college/2022/03/03/lia-thomas-penn-swimmer-transgender-woman-daily-cover:

 

“I just want to show trans kids and younger trans athletes that they’re not alone,” she says at the coffeehouse. “They don’t have to choose between who they are and the sport they love.”

 

“I don’t know exactly what the future of my swimming will look like after this year, but I would love to continue doing it,” Thomas says. “I want to swim and compete as who I am.”

 

1 hour ago, pacovl46 said:

The real question is why this required an executive order to begin with?! It’s pathetic! It should’ve been obvious from the get-go!

 

Basically, well-meaning but simpleminded people believed that they were doing the right thing.  It became trendy to do things to prevent "trans women" from feeling bad.  It was tolerated for quite a while, then gradually, people realised how much harm it was doing to women and children, and things slowly started to creep back to sanity.

4 minutes ago, bg53 said:

Thomas says. “I want to swim and compete as who I am.”

 

"Even if it means destroying the dreams of hundreds of women and girls.  All that really matters are my feelings."

Mixed on this one. Changing teams in a one year window, no way.

 

They say that after three years of HRT, the muscle mass changes to match CIS female structure. Maybe that is a place to start? Trans athletes are incredibly rare though. A recent survey came up with 15 people in the NCAA. The hype far exceeds the reality.

4 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

They say that after three years of HRT, the muscle mass changes to match CIS female structure.

 

The bone structure and cellular "muscle memory" (satellite cells, motor units, vascular perfusion etc) remain.

Just now, bg53 said:

 

The bone structure and cellular "muscle memory" (satellite cells, motor units, vascular perfusion etc) remain.

But without any studies who knows. It is such a small population that it is hard to make a reasonable and fair policy.

 

The article said they were on the men's team for three years then switched to the women's team. That is clearly too fast. Hormones do not change that quickly. Maybe there are scholarship issues? We do not know all of the details.

Wonder if losing 175 million might have had something to do with the Uni U'turning.

 

Posters on this thread still refering to the guy as  'she' & 'her'. Just goes to show that we think common sense prevails but!!!

good.

trump has started the ball rolling.

get the trans folks out of women's sports.

 

also, do a probe into serena williams to check if she is trans and strip her of all her tennis titles if she is. 

 

2 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

The real question is why this required an executive order to begin with?! It’s pathetic! It should’ve been obvious from the get-go!

 

Very true. A big win for BIOLOGICAL women, the ONLY kind of women.

 

13 hours ago, Social Media said:

The Human Rights Campaign, a prominent LGBTQ+ advocacy group, condemned the agreement.

 

Well, of course they would. Probably the only thing they hate more than themselves are women.

 

 

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Blame it on the Constitution that does not allow discrimination based on gender.

Bet you think there is no difference between men and women, and that one can change into the other by clicking their heels three times

So, should exceptionally strong, muscled women be prohibited from competing?

1 hour ago, WDSmart said:

So, are you saying that in "men's sports," there will be no gender qualifications? If so, then anyone can participate - men, transmen, transwomen, and women. Would there be no gender tests or examinations, then? If so, that's why I suggested they call the two classifications "sports," and only have another, limited type of sports called "women's (only) sports." 

That would be fine by me. As long as women aren't having their dreams crushed by biological men. 

No one is harmed in this decision, and it is fair to everyone involved. Transgender men and women will both still be allowed to compete.

 

Transgender athletes will absolutely be allowed to participate in men's sports. 

 

Transgender athletes will absolutely be allowed to participate in women's sports. 

1 hour ago, Peabody said:

So, should exceptionally strong, muscled women be prohibited from competing?

No. Why would they prohibit women from competing? 

The topic is about biological men competing against girls/women. 

2 hours ago, cjinchiangrai said:

But without any studies who knows.

 

The medical issues have been discussed elsewhere. When they amended the rules, FINA took cognizance of expert medical opinion. 

 

It is a little disingenuous to claim "who knows" when you say this

 

 

2 hours ago, bg53 said:

They say that after three years of HRT, the muscle mass changes