ABC Dives into the Arms of Trans Swimmer in Gag-Worthy Interview

The Monday Good Morning AmericaTheir delayed ABC News/ESPN exclusive interview featuring transgender swimmer Lia Thomas aired. Thomas changed genders and defeated actual female swimmers to earn an NCAA Division I Swimming title. As expected, Thomas was largely supported by the Disney-owned channel.

“Breaking her silence…College swimmer Lia Thomas, who made history as the first transgender athlete to win a national title in her first sit-down interview…Her journey and what’s next,” boasted co-host George Stephanopoulos in the first of two teases. Stephanopoulos later in the program wowed over Thomas’s character. “strong woman.”

Nightline co-host Juju Chang conducted the interview and she set the tone early by lamenting that Thomas’s “success as a trans athlete…landed her smack in the center of a heated culture war over trans rights…as people try to balance the core values of inclusion versus fairness.”

Thomas was soon added to Chang’s list. “ignit[ed] fierce debate over fairness in women’s sports” and played soundbites from transgender Republican Caitlyn Jenner and former women’s tennis star Martina Navratilova, who’ve been ardent opponents of Thomas competing against biological women.

Thomas regretted that “I knew there would be scrutiny against me if I competed as a woman…but I also don’t need anybody’s permission to be myself and to do the sport that I love.”

Chang then gave a sympathetic backstory about Thomas being trapped in a boy’s body and that depression and suicidal thoughts culminated in Thomas deciding to be a woman.

Chang said that, following years of hormone therapy, Thomas joined the women’s team and that subsequent “success in the water was met with outrage leading up to the NCAA championships.”

A softball game about what? “there are some”That “look at the data and suggest that you’re enjoying a competitive advantage,” Thomas cartoonishly credited an improved mental state for dominating women’s swimming while Chang brushed aside teammates who were uncomfortable by noting they were done anonymously (without pointing out the pressure to comply) (click “expand”):

THOMAS: There’s a lot of factors that go into a race and how — how well you do, and the biggest change for me is that I’m happy and sophomore year when I had my best times competing with the men, I was miserable and so having that be lifted is incredibly relieving and allows me to put my all into training, into racing. Trans people don’t transition for athletics. People transition to feel happy, authentic, and true to themselves. It is never a factor in our decision-making process to move for an advantage. 

CHANG [TO THOMAS]: Did you not transition in order to win more medals 

THOMAS: No. 

CHANG: Thomas quickly became a lightning rod. Thomas was slammed by 16 of her teammates as well as some parents. [TO THOMAS]Anonymous women sign the letter saying they are supportive of your right for transition but feel that it is unfair that you have to compete with cisgendered females. 

In response to teammates, Thomas suggested they’re transphobic for feeling uncomfortable:

You can’t go halfway and be, like, I support trans women and trans people, but only — only to a certain point where if you support trans women as women and they’ve met all the — all the NCAA requirements I don’t know if you can really say something like that. Transgender people are not an issue for women’s sport. 

Chang then offered a brief but compelling and striking retort from Mayo Clinic professor Dr. Michael Joyner about how those born male have a built-in advantage, regardless of one’s use of hormones. Of course, Chang only hit Thomas with a softball (click “expand”):

CHANG [TO JOYNER]How can trans women get hormone therapy to reverse certain physical features?

JOYNER 

CHANG [TO JOYNER]Is it true that transgender women cannot compete with cis-gendered women because they have been treated for years? 

JOYNER. I believe the evidence suggests that a time period of three to four years would be insufficient. 

CHANG [TO THOMAS]: This concept refers to the legacy effects testosterone, which can never be zero. Is it possible to disqualify or eliminate transgender women from the workforce? 

THOMAS: I’m not a medical expert but there is — there’s a lot of variation among cis female athletes. Cis women may be taller than others, have greater testosterone levels and are more muscular. Does that mean they should not be disqualified? 

Back live after touting Thomas expressing hope for a shot at the Olympics as a woman, Chang told the show’s co-host that Thomas “absolutely”Before identifying as woman, I had considered quitting this sport.

Of course, some critics claimed that stopping swimming would cause no problems. Her response was that people will have problems with me regardless of what I do. Therefore, I refuse to lose my identity as swimmer.

This effort by Disney to destroy women’s sports with biological men was made possible thanks to the endorsement of advertisers such as Chase, Discovery, and Meta (parent company of Facebook). Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.

To see the relevant ABC transcript from May 31, click “expand.”

ABC’s Good Morning America
31 May 2022
Eastern at 7:01 [TEASE]

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ABC News Exclusive; Lia Thomas Breaks Her Silence]

GEORGE SEPHANOPOULOS: She broke her silence. 

ESPN ANNOUNCER: Lia Thomas pulling away.

STEPHANOPOULOS – College swimmer Lia Thomas made history by becoming the first transgender person to be awarded a national title during a sit-down interview. 

JUJU CHANG [TO LIA THOMAS]Some people will even suggest you are enjoying a competitive advantage based on the data. How do you respond to this? 

STEPHANOPOULOS – Her story and the next step.

(….)

Eastern, 7:17 AM [TEASE]

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ABC News; ESPN Exclusive; Lia Thomas Breaks Her Silence; Transgender College Swimmer on Winning, Criticism & Her Future]

STEPHANOPOULOS: There’s more to come GMA, including Juju Chang’s exclusive interview with Lia Thomas, the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship. She’s going to respond to the backlash and more in her first interview.

(….)

Eastern: 7:31

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ABC News; ESPN Exclusive; Lia Thomas Breaks Her Silence; Transgender College Swimmer on Winning, Criticism & Her Future]

STEPHANOPOULOS – But for now, an ABC News/ESPN exclusive interview with Lia Thomas. This elite college swimmer became the first transgender female to win an NCAA Swimming title. She’s speaking out in her first TV interview with Nightline’s Juju Chang. Juju, good morning.

George, good morning. Lia Thomas claims that there are two main aspects to her identity. Being an elite swimmer and transgender. And yet, it’s her success as a trans athlete that landed her smack in the center of a heated culture war over trans rights and she’s breaking her silence for the first time as people try to balance the core values of inclusion versus fairness. It was her swimming skills that made shock waves all across America. Lia Thomas is 23. 

ESPN ANNOUNCER: Lia Thomas pulling away. 

CHANG – The UPenn swimmer who made history by becoming the first transgender swimmer to claim a Division I title. But her accomplishments on the women’s team sparked intense debate regarding fairness and equality in women’s sport. 

CAITLYN JENNER [on FNC’s Hannity]It just isn’t fair. 

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA – Competition is not fair. 

CHANG: Thomas has been quiet throughout all the controversy. 

LIA THOMAS : If I participated as a woman, I was prepared for scrutiny. Although I knew that it would happen, I didn’t feel pressure to comply. I don’t require permission from anyone to enjoy the sport I love and be me. 

Thomas was born a male and lived in Austin. She says that she first fell in love swimming at the age of four. However, as her life progressed, she said she became increasingly disconnected from her body. 

THOMAS – I never felt like a boy. I was like, this isn’t — this isn’t me. This is not me. 

CHANG: Thomas won a place at her Ivy League dream college, UPenn as a men’s coach, but her gender dysphoria made her suicidal and depressed by the end of her second year. 

THOMAS: It was difficult for me to get out of bed and go to class. When I was unable to get out of bed, I realized that this is not how I live. 

CHANG [TO THOMAS]It might even cost me my swimming career. 

THOMAS – Yes. That’s why I was unable to transition so much for so long. It’s because I wasn’t sure I could keep swimming and do the sport that I love. 

Thomas, a sophomore in high school, began hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in May 2019. 

THOMAS : These mental and emotional shifts were very rapid. My mental state was much better. I was less depressed and I lost muscle mass and I became a lot weaker and a lot — lot slower in the water. 

CHANG Critics claim she moved up in the rankings of both men and women’s teams. [TO THOMAS]Some look at your data and conclude that you are enjoying a competitive advantage. How do you respond to this? 

THOMAS: There’s a lot of factors that go into a race and how — how well you do, and the biggest change for me is that I’m happy and sophomore year when I had my best times competing with the men, I was miserable and so having that be lifted is incredibly relieving and allows me to put my all into training, into racing. Trans people don’t transition for athletics. People transition to feel happy, authentic and true to themselves. It is never a factor in our decision-making process to move for an advantage. 

CHANG [TO THOMAS]: Did you not transition in order to win more medals 

THOMAS: No. 

CHANG: Thomas quickly became a lightning rod. Thomas was a menace to women’s sport, according to 16 of her teammates as well as some of her parents. [TO THOMAS]Anonymous women signed this letter stating that while they support your right to transgender transition, they feel it unfair to compare you with cisgendered females. 

THOMAS: You can’t go halfway and be, like, I support trans women and trans people, but only — only to a certain point where if you support trans women as women and they’ve met all the — all the NCAA requirements I don’t know if you can really say something like that. Trans women should not be considered a threat for women’s sport. 

CHANG [TO JOYNER]How can trans women get hormone therapy to reverse certain physical features?

MAYO CLINIC PROFESSOR MICHAEL JOYNER : Some issues are related to body size, weight, height, hands, feet, bone density, and so on. However, the important point is how exercise training interacts with skeletal muscle. 

CHANG [TO JOYNER]Is it true that transgender women cannot compete with cis-gendered women because they have been treated for years? 

JOYNER 

CHANG [TO THOMAS]: This concept refers to the legacy effects testosterone, which can never be zero. Is it possible to disqualify or eliminate transgender women from the workforce? 

THOMAS: I’m not a medical expert but there is — there’s a lot of variation among cis female athletes. Cis women may be taller than others, have greater testosterone levels and are more muscular. Does that mean they should not be disqualified? 

CHANG 

THOMAS: It was just an incredible experience to able to fulfill that personal goal and be at that meet as well as competing as my authentic self was just such an amazing experience to have these — these things that I’ve been working towards for so long all — all come together. 

CHANG [TO THOMAS]Do you see Olympics in the future? 

THOMAS – It has been an ambition of mine for quite some time to participate in Olympic trials swimming. I’d love to make it happen. 

CHANG: Her college swimming career has ended. Lia recently graduated from UPenn. She is now preparing for law school.

STEPHANOPOULOS 

CHANG: Absolutely. She stated that she felt so down when she made the transition, that even though it meant she lost her swimming career, it was worth it. Of course, some critics claimed that stopping swimming would cause no problems. Her response was that no matter how I swim, people will be a problem so I won’t have to change my identity. George.

STEPHANOPOULOS – Strong woman. You can see more of Juju’s interview today on ESPN, tonight onNightline.