Lia Thomas transition journey is an interesting one. Lia is the first trans-student-athlete to win the Division I National Champion and All-American titles in the sport. But, her wins have been riddled with controversies as some people still wouldn’t accept that trans women should participate in women’s sports. She has faced intense scrutiny for her participation in female sports. But, she is not wrong to have competed because the NCAA permits transgender to participate in the sport too. Many still feel strongly that Lia, having undergone the male puberty stage, has an unfair advantage over biological females in the sport. She has refused to face the media on numerous occasions for fear of backlash; she told ESPN sometime ago.
Who Is Lia Thomas?
Lia is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania and has come into the limelight because of her exploits in the NCAA season. However, this is her first year as a trans-woman, and she has been at the end of record-breaking performances, which implies that she will receive criticism from the public. Read through this piece to find out more about Lia Thomas transition journey.
Lia didn’t feel like a female all her life till the end of her high school education at Austin Westlake. It was then that she believed that she wasn’t comfortable with her skin. Lia thought she was removed from her body and that what she felt was not proportional to what she was. Getting into the University of Pennsylvania afforded her the opportunity to mature her feelings fully. Here, she decided to make conscious efforts to fully transition into a woman, a decision that came with a price. After doing her research, she got a trans mentor who helped her “gain clarity.”
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Lia Struggled To Come Out To Friends and Coaches
For Lia, with a new personality, it would be hard for her coaches to accept her. So, she fell into depression because of this. Fortunately for her, her family was on the ground to make things easier. After telling her brother how she felt, she was surprised that he wholly supported her. What even surprised her more was that her parents, Bob and Carrie Thomas, accepted her and helped her through the ordeal. In May 2019, Thomas decided to come out and tell everyone about her new personality. It did take a lot of courage, but she did it. Interestingly, her friends and coaches supported her too.
Lia Thomas Transition Journey: Has She Gotten a Surgery?
Lia Thomas transition journey is going quite well. She was able to speed up her transition with Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT). Although this also came with a lot of side effects, she was able to weather through. However, during the therapy, she fiddled with the idea that she may not swim again as, according to her, the therapy made her lose masculine strength. As a result, she said she had to go for mental health sessions. Finally, two years after the completion of her therapy, she joined the women’s team. She won second place in three Ivy championship races as a swimmer before she competed at the NCAA championships.
Lia Thomas is yet to undergo her surgery. Some of her female teammates are still uncomfortable with her in the locker room, as she still has a male sex organ. She is yet to undergo her gender reassignment surgery. Also, she is rumored to still be sexually attractive to women and still possess some masculine qualities.
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What is Lia Thomas’s Maiden Name?
Lia decided to choose her mother’s maiden name Catherine and entirely changed to the name in 2020. So, today, she is called Lia Catherine Thomas.
Conclusion
Lia Thomas transition journey has faced a lot of backlashes. According to some people, this is because she has an unfair advantage over those who are biologically women.
