Swimmer Says She Was Forced To Change W/ Lia Thomas, 'Exposed To Male Genitalia'
NCAA All-American Swimmer We Were Forced To Share Locker Room W/ Lia Thomas 'Exposed To Male Genitalia'
Riley Gaines, an All-American swimmer, is speaking out against the NCAA after she says her and her fellow competitors were made to share a locker room with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, and were exposed to "male genitalia."
Gaines, a 12x All-American and 5x SEC champion at Kentucky turned women's sports advocate appeared on FOX News' "America Reports", and talked about Thomas.
"Of course, we competed against Thomas, we were not forewarned beforehand that we would be sharing a locker room with Lia. We did not give our consent. They did not ask for our consent," Gaines, a 12x All-American and 5x SEC champion at Kentucky turned women's sports advocate said when she appeared on FOX News' "America Reports."
Gaines continued ... "But in that locker room we turned around and there's a 6'4" biological man dropping his pants and watching us undress, and we're exposed to male genitalia."
Of course, Lia swam three seasons on the men's swim team at the University of Pennsylvania before transitioning and competing as a woman, where she won an NCAA National Championship in 2021.
While Thomas dominated in the pool, Gaines says it's the locker room situation that bothered her most.
"That to me was worse than the competition piece. Not even probably a year, two years ago, this would've been considered some form of sexual assault. Voyeurism. But now, not even are they now just allowing it to happen, it's almost as if these large organizations are encouraging it to happen."
UPenn Nominates Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas For NCAA Woman Of The Year Award
"Of course, after NCAA Championships, the NCAA nominated then nominated Thomas for NCAA Women of the Year. So we're celebrating this movement."
Her story has been a polarizing one for Americans ... and it's a debate that's been hotly contested.
Gaines is fighting to pass "Fairness in Women's Sports" bills, and she also wants to establish separate locker rooms for transgender athletes. She says she hopes other like-minded women will step up and speak out like she's done, but acknowledges many are scared and worried about retribution.
"People are terrified."