Mark Harris
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Riley Gaines and other female swimmers who participated in the 2022 NCAA Championships have detailed their experiences of having to share a locker room with biological male Lia Thomas. NC State’s Kylee Alons avoided being exposed to Thomas after getting creative in the most unfortunate situation.
Alons met with Rep. Greg Steube (R – FL) on Wednesday and reflected on her experience at the ’22 Championships and explained that she elected to change in a nearby storage closet instead of sharing a locker room with Thomas.
“Today I met with Kylee, the most decorated swimmer in NC State history,” Steube tweeted. “She told me how she changed in a storage closet at the NCAA finals rather than experience the sexual harassment that comes with undressing in front of Will ‘Lia’ Thomas – a biological male who insisted on being in the female locker room.”
The people detached from reality will argue that Alons changing in a storage closet was her own choice and that Thomas was simply following NCAA protocol, but that’s the issue. Alons shouldn’t have had to even imagine changing inside of a storage closet, but with a biological male exposing himself in a women’s locker room, changing in a closet was her only option.
Steube sharing Alons’ story on Wednesday came shortly after Gaines gave a passionate testimony at a Senate hearing on ‘Protecting Pride: Defending the Civil Rights of LGBTQ+ Americans.’
Gaines passionately stood up for women’s rights and women’s sports in front of the Senate on Wednesday, and even called out Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (Illinois) for his opening statement about trans youth and trans athletes.
“Senator Durbin, in your opening statement you had mentioned this rhetoric, you had mentioned ‘what message does it send to trans individuals’ and my combat to that is what message does it send to women, to young girls who are denied these opportunities? So easily their rights to privacy and safety thrown out the window to protect a small population, to protect one group as long as they’re happy,” Gaines explained.
“What about us? That is the overall consensus of how we all felt inside that locker room [with Thomas].”
Gaines went into further detail about Alons’ experience at the NCAA Championships saying that she and her NC State teammates changed in what was a janitorial closet.
While Gaines has been at the forefront of the fight to save women’s sports, she’s clearly got a new teammate in Alons.
Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris
While I understand why they are uncomfortable, they have the power to put an end to this nonsense. I realize they’ve worked their whole lives to get to an NCAA championship event, etc.. but it is at these events that women need to band together and refuse to compete. It would be embarrassing for the NCAA, sponsors, etc.. if all of the top biological females sat out in protest. Speaking out about it is good but actions speak louder than words.
Could not agree more, Ron. The only way this stops is when they refuse to participate (at any level). Parents take note at youth tournaments too…refuse to play when confronted with this nonsense.
Its not only women that need to stand up to this, but I also think the LGB members of the LGBTQ movement need to stand up and distance themselves from it as well. There are plenty of LGB people out there that do not support the craziness of the trans movement, are upset that the trans movement has lumped themselves into pride, and do not agree with these positions