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Senate Judiciary Committee member Josh Hawley, R-Mo., asked a witness at the panel’s hearing on fairness in women’s sports whether swimmers at Yale consented to sharing a locker room with then-University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas.
Thomas, a biological male who identifies as transgender, became a central figure in the debate over sex divisions in scholastic athletics after competing against and defeating then-University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines and others.
“Three years ago, Riley Gaines sat right where you’re sitting at a hearing in front of this committee, and she described for the committee what it was like to be forced to have a biological man in her locker room without her consent, forced to undress in front of him, forced to watch him undress in front of her, forced to then go compete with her — against her — in a totally unfair situation,” Hawley told Kim Jones, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports.
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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks during a Senate hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 10. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Hawley said Jones’ daughter also swam competitively at Yale, which, like the University of Pennsylvania, is in the Ivy League.
Jones confirmed that her daughter raced against Thomas in “multiple competitions” during the 2021-2022 season.
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Jones also answered “no” when asked if girls on the team were asked whether they were comfortable sharing a locker room with Thomas.
Jones told Hawley that swimmers were required to attend regular mandatory meetings where they were reminded that intersex swimming was the decision of their schools and league.
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“If they wanted to speak on [the subject], they had to get their words cleared by their coaches and athletic directors. They were told to control their families. The threats were gigantic,” she said. “The pressure was enormous, and it came down on a regular, regular basis.”
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University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas (C) smiles with Yale University swimmer Iszac Henig (right) after winning the 100 yard freestyle during the 2022 Ivy League Womens Swimming and Diving Championships at Blodgett Pool on Feb. 19, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
Hawley called that kind of dynamic “incredible,” but stopped short of “unbelievable,” saying the situations are believable “based on what we know [and] your daughter’s experience.”