WOODLAND HILLS, CA — Three-time Olympic gold medalist, Nancy Hogshead-Makar, has worked with advocacy groups to collect over 5,000 signatures on dual petitions that were released on Tuesday. The petitions are asking policymakers to prioritize “fairness and safety for females” in women’s sports instead of “blanket transgender inclusion or exclusion.” The signatures come from people throughout the United States at a time when more transgender athletes are competing.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer, Nancy Hogshead-Makar. (Photo Credit: Go Duke)
The organizations, Champion Women, of which Hogshead-Makar is the founder, and the Women's Sports Policy Working Group are heading the campaign. Over 2,500 signatures come from athletes who have played a sport at the high school, club, or college levels. According to Champion Women, approximately 300 signatures come from Olympians, Paralympians, and U.S. national team members.
“We always look for win-win solutions, but when it comes to transgender women's inclusion into the female category, we need to prioritize fairness for biological women in sport,” Hogshead-Makar told ESPN.
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Hogshead-Makar was a swimmer on the 1984 Summer Olympics team for the United States. The petitions were released two days before Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer on the University of Pennsylvania team started competing at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving National Championships. Thomas won titles at the Ivy League championship that was held in February for the 100-yard, 200-yard, and 500-yard freestyle events.
Lia Thomas preparing to compete at the NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in Atlanta, GA on March 16, 2022. (Photo Credit: Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)
Thomas competed in the men’s category for three seasons at Penn, and this is her first season competing in the women’s category after beginning hormone therapy in May 2019. She has been declared eligible under the current NCAA transgender participation policy. At least five of the signatures on the petitions come from teammates of Thomas at the University of Pennsylvania. Two coaches of college women’s swimming programs have also signed the petitions. Bret Lundgaard from Princeton and Matt Kredich from Tennessee are the two that have been publicly named. An anonymous letter was written by 16 of her 40 teammates last month saying that they felt she had an “unfair advantage.”
There has also been support for Thomas competing in the women’s category. More than 300 former and current collegiate and professional swimmers signed an open letter in support of her being able to compete.
AUDIO
Jenilee reports on the petition opposing transgender athletes in women's sports
On Thursday, Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title in any sport. She did it by winning the women’s 500-yard freestyle event, and she had the best time of this NCAA season, but she did not break the NCAA record held by 10-time Olympic medalist Katie Ledecky.
By: Jenilee Borek
Contributions: ESPN, CNN
Photo Credit: Go Duke, Brett Davis, USA TODAY Sports
Audio: Jenilee Borek, NewsNation
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