Kentucky Swimmer Riley Gaines Tweets Reply to Clay Travis, Says She’s ‘The Real Girl’ In Photo With Lia Thomas

The University of Pennsylvania is not the least bit concerned about the widely covered controversies around transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.

UPenn isn’t just ignoring the controversy, it’s leaning into it based on the fact that it has nominated Thomas for the 2021-22 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

University of Kentucky simmer Riley Gaines, who tied Thomas for fifth place in the women’s 200-meter NCAA title race, isn’t ignoring the situation either.

Gaines quoted Clay Travis’ tweet explaining that Thomas’ nomination is “yet another slap in the face to women” while stating that she’s “the real girl” in the photo Travis tweeted.

This award combines athletic performance with academics, service, and character. What character has Thomas shown other than sheer selfishness and entitlement? The disrespect and disregard for the other female athletes in Thomas' interviews is eye opening.

— Riley Gaines (@RileyGaines) July 16, 2022

Penn nominated transgender swimmer Lia Thomas as their NCAA woman of the year. Hell of an accomplishment to be woman of the year after only being a woman for a couple of years. https://t.co/gW3acTQ1Jl

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 15, 2022

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has come out and voiced her disagreement and frustration with Thomas’ nomination as well. Navratilova took to Twitter to ask if there weren’t “enough fabulous biological women athletes” UPenn could have nominated for the award.

Not enough fabulous biological women athletes, NCAA?!? What is wrong with you?!!!!!!!? https://t.co/5QAJyt0Qab

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) July 16, 2022

Navratilova and Gaines are far from the only ones criticizing the university’s move to nominate Thomas for the award.

Last month, one of Thomas’ teammates at UPenn anonymously described the swimmer as “mentally ill.” Prior to that story in June, OutKick also reported that it was believed that Thomas colluded with another transgender swimmer before a race.

Thomas is one of only 577 nominees out of almost 223,000 female student-athletes in the NCAA.

The women to potentially receive the award are supposed to be “female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers.”

UPenn nominating Thomas comes a month after FINA, the world governing body for swimming, voted to restrict transgender athletes to compete against women in international events.

This decision to nominate Thomas is UPenn’s latest signal letting the world know that it’s all-in on a progressive ideology. You know, just in case you weren’t aware of where the Philadelphia Ivy League school stood on that scale.