Former Lia Thomas opponents open up on 'nightmare' of facing trans swimmer as they push for ban

Former opponents of Lia Thomas person elaborate the 'fear' and 'abuse' they encountered portion competing against the transgender swimmer.  

'There (was) nary flight from this nightmare,' 1 pistillate told a congressional proceeding astir facing Thomas, who became the archetypal transgender jock to triumph an NCAA Division 1 rubric successful 2022.

There has been increasing contention and statement implicit the aboriginal of women's sports successful caller years and connected Thursday, a Georgia authorities Senate committee passed the 'Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act'.

The measure 'would necessitate athletes to enactment connected teams that align with their biologic enactment astatine birth'. Should it walk into law, Georgia would go the 26th authorities to present restrictions astir transgender student-athletes.

Thomas won the nationalist title successful Georgia 3 years agone and 2 erstwhile competitors testified astatine a proceeding connected Thursday.

'We each were conscionable guinea pigs for a elephantine societal experimentation formed by the NCAA regarding however overmuch maltreatment and blatant disregard women would beryllium forced to instrumentality successful silence,' Former North Carolina State women's swimmer Kylee Alons said, per Fox.

According to Fox, Alons claimed she wanted to outcry and permission the lawsuit aft watching Thomas triumph the 500m freestyle.

'It each conscionable felt truthful disconnected and wrong,' she said. 'I spell to the locker country that time lone to spot Thomas and recognize determination is nary flight from this nightmare, nary substance wherever I go. 

'I had nary thought helium was going to beryllium allowed successful the women's locker country arsenic we did not consent to person a antheral successful our locker room... I americium instantly connected borderline each clip I participate that locker country afterward, knowing astatine immoderate infinitesimal a antheral tin locomotion successful connected maine changing.

Alons reportedly resorted to changing successful a store cupboard down the stands, alternatively than spell into the locker room.

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Kaitlynn Wheeler, meanwhile, spoke astir her 'discomfort' and 'fear'.

'Young women, teenage girls were forced to undress adjacent to a afloat intact biologic antheral who exposed himself to us, portion we were simultaneously afloat exposed,' Wheeler said. 

'We were ne'er asked. We were ne'er fixed a prime oregon different option. We were conscionable expected to beryllium OK with it, to shove down our discomfort, our embarrassment, our fear. Because lasting up for ourselves would mean being labeled arsenic intolerant oregon hateful oregon bigoted.'

Both Wheeler and Lyons joined a suit against the NCAA, led by chap erstwhile swimmer Riley Gaines.  She recently hailed Donald Trump arsenic a 'champion' for women's sport aft helium declared that the national authorities volition lone admit 2 sexes – antheral and female.