A Florida congresswoman has alleged that swimmer Kylee Alons of the University of North Carolina was forced to change clothes in a storage closet to avoid undressing in front of trans swimmer Lia Thomas.
Alons, a state swimming champion, is said to have revealed the awkward ordeal at the 2022 NCAA Championships during a meeting with Rep. Greg Steube.
“Today I met Kylee, the most decorated swimmer in NC State history,” Steube tweeted Wednesday.
She told me how she changed clothes in a locker at the NCAA Finals instead of experiencing 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. are.’
The recognition came as Alons met with lawmakers in Washington to lobby for legislation to stop the inclusion of transgender athletes in female sports.
Kylee Alons has claimed she changed clothes in a storage closet to avoid a trans athlete. She is pictured center right, alongside teammates (L-R) Katharine Berkoff, Sophie Sansson and Abby Arens
Riley Gaines (right) is seen in March 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia after swimming against Lia Thomas (left) at the NCAA Championships
One of Thomas’s biggest critics is former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines
Alons was in her senior year at the University of North Carolina when she qualified for the 2022 NCAA Championships, the most prestigious college swimming competition in America.
The same year, Thomas, a biological male who identifies as female, caused controversy when she was allowed to use the women’s locker rooms.
She made history as the first transgender woman to win a national title that season, sparking a nationwide debate over the inclusion of transgender athletes in female sports.
Alons’ appearance on Capitol Holl came after Steube sponsored and passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to legislate on the issue of integrating transgender people into sports.
The bill, which passed in April in the House by a vote of 219-203, would make it a Title IX violation to allow biological males to participate in athletic programs designed for women.
“Thanks to @CWforA and @PYNance for working with me to get the Protection of Women and Girls in Sport Act through Parliament,” Steube said in a follow-up tweet.
“The Senate must vote on this crucial bill to save women’s sport and protect female athletes like Kylee from sexual harassment in the locker room.”
The legislation was also touted by Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama who, after meeting with Gaines and Alons, said, “Any girl who dreams of becoming the next Riley or Kylee deserves our support.
“It’s time for the Senate to vote on my bill to save Title IX and save women’s sports.”
Gaines responded to the post about Alons’ ordeal condemning Thomas’s presence in women’s locker rooms, saying, “She and her teammates changed in a janitor’s closet because it felt safer than changing in a locker room where an intact man was simultaneously would undress. .
“I’ve looked up to Kylee for a long time, seeing how fast she is, but even more so now that she’s speaking out.”
Current and former athletes say trans athletes like Lia Thomas (left), the swimmer who had modest success in male categories before becoming a national champion in women’s events after transitioning, are emphasizing the physical benefits of trans women
Cece Telfer became the first openly trans woman to win an NCAA title when she finished first in the 400-meter hurdles at the Division II National Championships in 2019 (pictured)
The meeting comes as an increasing number of transgender athletes are achieving success in women’s sports.
The issue came into the spotlight when Cece Telfer became the first openly trans woman to win an NCAA title when she finished first in the 400-meter hurdles at the Division II National Championships in 2019.
The following year, Laurel Hubbard, of New Zealand, became the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics when she competed in weightlifting at the Tokyo Games.
Veronica Ivy won the 2018 UCI Women’s Masters Track World Championship for women aged 35-44, while competing as Rachel McKinnon to become the first transgender track cycling champion.
The problem also extends to amateur sports, where trans cyclist Tiffany Thomas also took first place in a cycling race in New York City in March.
Laurel Hubbard, from New Zealand, became the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics when she competed in weightlifting at the 2020 Tokyo Games
Tiffany Thomas, center, took first place at the Randall’s Island Crit bike race in New York City in March
The 46-year-old has been criticized by those who claim trans athletes have an unfair advantage in women’s sports
While some argue that sex reassignment procedures such as hormone therapy and surgery are enough to level the playing field, experts argue that the physical benefit cannot be reversed.
Tommy Lundberg, a lecturer in physiology at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and a leading researcher in the field, told DailyMail.com: ‘The important thing is whether or not you have benefited from male development and male puberty and if you have, you will’ gets benefits that you can’t undo later.’
Nancy Hogshead, a former pro swimmer who won three gold and one silver medal in the 1984 Olympics, told DailyMail.com, “Trans women have an undeniable physical advantage.
“Their bodies do what male bodies do when they go through puberty and that’s why we separate sports ubiquitously all over the world…
“Unless we’re talking about just playing, just recreational sports. All competitive sports are segregated by gender.’