April 6, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — A stocky, 32-year-old biological man who believes he is a “woman” has been cleared by the governing body of American volleyball to compete as a woman and possibly earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic volleyball team.
In January, Hawaiian Tia Thompson, born male, was approved by USA Volleyball to compete as a woman, according to a report by KHNL-TV in Honolulu.
USA Volleyball is the national governing body for the sport and is recognized as such by the Federation Internationale de Volleyball and the United States Olympic Committee.”
Thompson believes he’s advancing the “transgender” cause by competing as a “woman,” saying “I am living my truth, and if this can help other trans athletes, then it’s worth it.”
But his “truth” does not comport with actual biological truth in the minds of many critics. Honolulu-based Hawaii News Now reports, “There has been some push back” from the volleyball community, but based on the anonymity, people are afraid to voice their opposition in public.
“Players and parents we spoke to who did not want to be on camera say it's not fair for teams with biological women because it creates an unrealistic level of competition,” HNN reported March 18.
“A nice way to win a gold medal. A man says he is a woman and competes against biological women,” commented Ann Leisner in response to the KHNL-TV story.
Thompson attributes the criticism he has received to people’s ignorance, telling Outsports, a pro-LGBTQ sports organization, “Many uneducated people do have negative comments, which I understand because of the lack of education and information that people see on trans issues.”
Ruining women’s sports?
But many articulate, seemingly well-educated people have voiced strong opposition to a gender-confused man with his natural size and strength advantage participating at the highest level of women’s sports against biological women.
“So, basically USA volleyball has just sanctioned cheating. Way to go, you have just began the downward spiral of your sport for women,” said “mllyjul,” commenting on the KHNL story.
The conservative Daily Wire noted: “Imagine being a biologically female athlete and working all your life to reach the top of your field, only to have it taken away by a biological male. Is this the ‘male privilege’ the Left always gripes about?
“More of the liberals’ war on women. Pretty soon real women won't hold any sports records thanks to this insane political correctness,” said “Dmorris” in the comments area.
USAV caves to gender agenda
Thompson told HNN, “It took me three years to finally get approved with all the transitioning and all the hormone therapy and submitting all my paperwork to the gender committee.”
“[USA Volleyball] requires transgender women to undergo hormone replacement therapy consistently for at least one year — with proper documentation — and they also have to change their identification, like passports and birth certificates, to female,” HNN reported. “Before, some organizations, including the Olympics, would require trans athletes to have sex reassignment surgery.”
Breitbart News reports that, “Shockingly, Thompson has become a massive force in the female division and has a legit chance at qualifying for the Olympics.”
Reaching critical mass in sports world
The phenomenon of biological males competing in female sports is no longer an isolated occurrence.
In March, as LifeSiteNews reported, “A male-to-female “trans” weightlifter sparked controversy with his win in the women’s over-90 kg division at an Australian International competition. Gavin Hubbard, who uses the name Laurel, dominated the field, beating the runner-up, a biological woman, by nearly 20 kg. Some competitors complained that he had an unfair advantage.”
In Texas, Mack Beggs, a 17-year-old girl taking testosterone to fulfill her “transgender” dream of living as a “man,” beat all of her non-drug-taking girl opponents in February to win a Texas state wrestling title. That led to outcries that the competition was unfair because of her drug-induced physical advantages.
As is now standard operating procedure for all but a smattering of conservative press, all media accounts of Thompson have used female pronouns (she, her) to describe this biological male athlete.