Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Wetin we hear na say University of Pennsylvania don agree to block transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports after one federal civil rights wahala wey involve swimmer Lia Thomas. Na di U.S. Department of Education naim announce di agreement, and dem talk say dat dey go apologize and restore titles wey female athletes lose to ‘male athletes’. Chai! Talk about e no fit later dey turn am head down!
Di university gree say dem go update im records from di 2021-22 season, but dem no talk if dem go wipe away Thomas’ records. We go wait see how dat one go play out. Thomas, wey na di first trans athlete wey win di highest U.S. national college title for March 2022, don turn di spotlight again after dis gbas gbos.
Dis deal na di latest development as President Donald Trump dey press down hard on transgender athletes wey wan participate for women sports. Na im sign di executive order shortly after im enter office, wey try stop transgender women from competing for female categories. Na wah, di matter don pass neck!
Dem say di agreement means UPenn go follow ‘biology-based definitions’ for male and female according to di president’s executive orders. Di Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon talk say: “Today’s resolution agreement wit UPenn na another example of di Trump effect in action.” E sweet for di mouth, but na struggle we go still face for di sports matter.
Di university also talk say dem dey recognize di past policies wey make some student-athletes feel like dem dey disadvantaged. Dem don send apology to all dem wey supoosed get di correct opportunity. Ain’t that nice? (As if it’s sweet like palm wine!).
We fit remember say Lia Thomas no dey compete again for di school as she don graduate. Dis change come years after she don swim with di men’s team before she start hormone replacement therapy in 2019. Di kind headlines wey she dey create wey follow her performance for women’s team, na another level of controversy wey dey churn di content.
She don even talk say di trans community wey dey college sports na very small. Di NCAA na dem don say e be like only 10 athletes dey under dat category. Thomas don tell di world say, “Di biggest misconception be say I transition just to get advantage. I just want make I dey happy.” We dey feel you, sister!
Last year, she took legal action so she fit compete again for elite women’s sports, but di Court of Arbitration for Sport wey dey Switzerland don reject di case. Di whole thing dey make dem wonder wetin go happen in di future as dis debate dey continue go on.
As di Human Rights Campaign talk say dis deal no good for young people, we dey see say di backlash just dey grow. Dem don accuse di administration of making life hard for young people and turning dem into scapegoats. As di wahala dey unfold, we go dey watch closely wetin go happen for women’s sports.
