A USA Swimming official has resigned in protest over transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, saying she can’t back a sport that allows “biological men” to compete alongside women.
The New York Post reports Cynthia Millen, who had officiated USA Swimming meets for three decades, stepped down ahead of last week’s US Paralympics Swimming National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“I can’t do this,” Millen wrote in her resignation letter, as first reported by the Washington Examiner reported.
“I can’t support this.”
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Millen ahora espera que otros atletas estén de acuerdo en que Thomas, de 22 años, tiene un mérito injusto sobre la competencia después de revelar que es transgénero en 2019 después de 3 años en el equipo masculino de la Universidad de Pensilvania.
Desde entonces, Thomas ha dañado varios récords de Penn esta temporada, con un compañero de equipo completando en posición de momento en el estilo libre de 1650 metros unos 38 momentos después de ella.
“I told my fellow officials that I can no longer participate in a sport that allows biological men to compete against women,” Millen’s letter continued.
“Everything fair about swimming is being destroyed.”
Millen said she would deem Thomas ineligible to compete if officiating a meet and called on her now-former colleagues to do the same.
“This is not right because by doing this, we’re supporting this,” Millen wrote.
“There are no swim meets if there are no officials.”
Representatives for USA Swimming did not immediately return a message seeking comment from The Post.
Thomas, meanwhile, has said she’s taking an ongoing regimen of oestrogen and testosterone blockers.
She is eligible under NCAA rules to swim in women’s collegiate events after taking one year of testosterone suppressants.
While there has been some negative reaction to Thomas’ record-breaking efforts, many on social media have defended her right to compete. She is eligible to swim and is not breaking any rules, while her testosterone levels are the same as the competitors she is swimming against.
“I just don’t engage with it,” Thomas said earlier this month of the widespread backlash against her performances.
“It’s not healthy for me to read it and engage with it at all, and so I don’t, and that’s all I’ll say on that.”
Some of the “pushback” was expected, Thomas admitted.
Millen doubled-down on her criticism of Thomas on Wednesday, telling Fox News allowing her to swim with women makes for unfair competition.
Thomas’ times in the water are now approaching records set by all-time Olympic greats like Katie Ledecky and Missy Franklin, Millen said.
“This is grossly unfair.”
This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.