300+ NCAA, Team USA & Olympic Swimmers: We Support Lia and All Trans & Nonbinary Athletes

Feb 10, 2022 | By Athlete Ally

February 10, 2022 (New York, NY) — Today, Athlete Ally and Schuyler Bailar, the first openly transgender NCAA Division I swimmer, sent a letter to the NCAA from 300+ current and former NCAA, Team USA and Olympic swimmers in support of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and all transgender and nonbinary athletes in their sport. Sports Illustrated broke the news in an exclusive story here, and the letter in full is here and below.

“The amount of discrimination [Thomas] has experienced, the amount of hatred, the amount of just blatant cruelty that has been projected and targeted at her, it is inhumane,” Bailar told SI. “It is unkind. It is horrible. It is really hard to see as another transgender athlete, in person. And, to be quite honest and frank with you, it is life-threatening to trans people in general, because we already are at risk.”

“I was fortunate enough to be welcomed with open arms in the swim community when I came out as gay,” said Erica Sullivan, who signed the letter as a Team USA Olympian who won a silver medal in Tokyo. “Just with my own personal good experience of coming out and feeling all that love and support within my swim community, I feel like [Lia] deserves the same thing.”

Open Letter to the NCAA in Support of Transgender and Nonbinary Athletes

We, the undersigned members of the swimming community, support and welcome transgender and nonbinary athletes in our sport.

With this letter, we express our support for Lia Thomas, and all transgender college athletes, who deserve to be able to participate in safe and welcoming athletic environments. We urge you to not allow political pressure to compromise the safety and wellbeing of college athletes everywhere.

We ask the following: 1) do not adopt USA Swimming’s current policy mid-season; 2) establish clear and consistent guidelines for developing and adopting new eligibility policies, and ensure those policies are adopted and communicated well in advance of the season; and 3) ensure that transgender and nonbinary athletes are directly engaged in the policy development process.

We love swimming for the lifelong, invaluable lessons it has taught us about hard work, discipline, and the power of being part of a team. No one should be denied the opportunity to have their life changed through swimming simply because of who they are.

There are very real, documented threats to women’s swimming, including but not limited to rampant sexual abuse, and an inequitable number of women’s coaches within USA Swimming. The NCAA also faces its own deep and historical challenges with gender equity, as outlined in the detailed report released last year focused on the stark differences between NCAA D1 men’s and women’s basketball. We can and should address these challenges. Transgender women are not and have never been a part of these challenges to women’s swimming, and sidelining them from sport does nothing to protect women athletes.

What makes our sport great is the strength in the diversity of our athletes. No one swimmer is the same. We learn from each other, are inspired by one another, and support one another. We will not be silent as members of our swim community are unfairly targeted by discriminatory policies.

Signed,

Kenneth Castro Abrams, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Aaron Ach, Princeton University Swimming & Diving
Claire Adams, Team USA, University of Texas Swimming & Diving
Madeline Alagia, Rhodes College Swimming & Diving
Stephanie Amberg, UCLA Swim & Dive, North Bay Aquatics
Michael Ambrosio, Goucher College Swimming & Diving
Lauren Anderson, American University Swimming & Diving
Gail Anderson, Kenyon College Swim & Dive
Maddie Annis, Williams College Swimming & Diving
Lauren Antonowich, Washington University in St. Louis Swimming
Grace Ariola, University of Texas Swimming & Diving
Julia Armitage, Brown University Swimming & Diving
Macey Arnold, University of North Carolina Swimming & Diving
Hannah Aylward, Carleton College Swimming & Diving
Cecina Babich Morrow, Kenyon College Swim & Dive
Jeremy Babinet, University of Michigan Swimming & Diving
Schuyler Bailar, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Al Bailey, University of North Dakota Swimming & Diving
Abigail Benkert, Cornell University Swimming & Diving
Meredith Bergman, Carleton College Swimming & Diving
Zachary Bergman, Colby College Swimming & Diving
Alyssa Berman, Swarthmore College Swimming
Jonathan Bernard, Xavier University Swimming
Elizabeth Bernardy, Smith College Swimming & Diving
Jessica Blake-West, Brown University Swimming & Diving
Madison Blaydes, University of Wisconsin-Madison Swimming & Diving
Jordan Blitz, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Ellen Bloom, University of Minnesota Swim & Dive
Natalie Bodenhamer, Knox College Swimming & Diving
Karen Gerken Book, Rice University Swimming
Malia Borg, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Jack Boyd, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Amanda Brackett, Clark University Swimming and Diving
Lauren Brady, Ithaca College Swimming & Diving
Jacquelyn Braggin, UC Davis Swimming & Diving
Olivia Bray, Team USA
Allyson Bremer, Rice University Swimming, USA Swimming
Kendall Brent, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Kelly Brock, University of Kansas Swimming
Mac Brower, Bowdoin College Swimming & Diving
Emma Bulman, Team USA; Clark University Swimming & Diving
Brigita Burgess, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Brigid Burke, East Carolina University Swimming/Diving
Savannah Butler, Harvard Swimming & Diving
Sarah Campbell, Kenyon College Swim & Dive
Jennifer Fredsall Cantwell, University of Utah Swimming & Diving
Gillian Caverly, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Allison Chang, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Daniel Chang, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Caroline Chapon, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Michelle Chintanaphol, Yale Swimming
Kait Chura, Rice University Swimming
Kelsey Clary, Clark University Swimming & Diving
Emma Coakley, Team USA (triathlon), University of Louisville Swimming & Diving
Lauren Cogar, Knox College Swimming & Diving
Cody Conte, SUNY Brockport Swimming & Diving
Anna Cook, University of Rochester Swimming & Diving
Val Corrente, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Swimming & Diving
Izabel Coxfaxo, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Jameson Crandell, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Kayde Cross, University of Texas Swimming & Diving
Emily Culver, Carleton College Swimming & Diving
Miki Dahlke, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Kevin Dai, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Alexis Danchak, American University Swimming & Diving
Ren DeBrossd , Kenyon College Swim & Dive
Hadley DeBruyn, University of Pennsylvania Swimming & Diving
Kathryn Didion, Princeton University Swimming & Diving
Tyler DiMarco, American University Swimming & Diving
Robert Doles, Harvard Swimming
Leif Jorgensen Duus, St. Olaf College Swim & Dive
Sam Dyer, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Kristi Edleson, University of Pennsylvania Swimming & Diving
Nathalie Eid, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Erin Emery, University of Minnesota Swimming & Diving
Anastasia Erley, Swarthmore College Swimming
Alexandra Ernst, Rice University Swimming
Katherine Evans, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Shannon Exley, American University Swimming & Diving
Eva Fabian, Team USA, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Natalie Fahey, USA Swimming, Southern Illinois University Swimming & Diving
Josh Feinberg, Clark University Swimming & Diving
Eleanor Felton , American University Swimming & Diving
Liam Fitzgerald, Princeton University Swimming & Diving
Emily Fogle, Purdue University Swimming & Diving
Sophie Fontaine, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Megan Foran, Northeastern University Swimming & Diving
Emily Fogel, Purdue University Swimming
Luke Foster, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Betsy Foy, Macalester Swim and Dive
Patrick Frith, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Maddy Frost, University of Michigan Swimming/Diving
Taylor García, University of Michigan Swimming/Diving
Daniela Georges, University of Arizona Swimming & Diving
Rebekah Getman, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Grace Giddings, University of Pennsylvania Swimming & Diving
Amelia Gilchrist, Brown Swimming and Diving
Grant Goddard, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Brandon Goldman, Louisiana State University Swimming & Diving
Isabella Goldsmith, UCLA Swimming & Diving
Kara Gordon, Washington University in St. Louis Swimming & Diving
Lucy Gramley, US Masters Swimming, Brown University Water Polo
Evan Grey, Georgetown University Swimming & Diving
Taylor Grey, University of Virginia Swimming & Diving
Owen Griffin, Knox College Swimming & Diving
Haley Griffin, University of New England Swimming
Madeline Groves, Swimming Australia
Katie Grover, UCLA Swim & Dive, Swim Atlanta
Elaina Gu, Princeton University Swimming & Diving
Sofia Guarnieri, University of Rochester Swimming & Diving
Vivian Guo, Swarthmore College Swimming
Daniel Gutnayer, University of Pennsylvania Swimming & Diving
Sarah Haase, Stanford University Swimming & Diving
Caylee Hamilton, Indiana University, Purdue University, Indianapolis Swimming & Diving
Samantha Harding, Team Canada, University of Minnesota Swim & Dive
Matti Harrison, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Jenna Harrison-Peters, Clark University Swimming & Diving
Malak Hassouna, American University Swimming & Diving
Eszter Heins, UC San Diego Swimming & Diving
Iszac Henig, Yale Swimming
Carlo Hensch, Harvard Swimming & Diving
Luca Hensch, Harvard Swimming and Diving
Ezren Herzog, Knox College Swimming & Diving
Lucas Hess, Brown University Swimming & Diving
Erica Hjelle, Team USA, Georgetown University Swimming & Diving
Deborah Ho, University of Michigan Swimming/Diving
Annemily Hoganson, Carleton College Swimming & Diving
Kelsey Hojan-Clark, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Katharine Holmes, Hartwick College Swimming & Diving
Katelyn Holmquist, University of Minnesota Swimming
Nathan Holty, Ohio State University Swim & Dive
Madison Horton, University of Michigan Swimming & Diving
Logan Houck, Team USA, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Janet Hu, Stanford University Swimming & Diving
Charlotte Hylinski, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Hailey Jacobson, Brown University Swimming and Diving
Laurel Jin, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Ellen Johnson, American University Swimming & Diving
Olivia Johnson, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Jacob Johnson, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Ryan Jolley, American University Swimming & Diving
Wilson Josephson, Carleton College Swimming & Diving, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Carter Kale, College of William & Mary Swimming
Hannah Kannan, University of Pennsylvania Swimming & Diving
Arik Katz, Team USA, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Artie Kerchmar, Loras College Swimming & Diving
Erin Kiley, Ithaca College Swimming & Diving
Edward Kim, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Soodong Kim, Cornell Swimming and Diving
Lily Koenig, American University Swimming and Diving
Delayni Kornak-Kotarba, Wayne State University Swimming & Diving
Zack Kundel, Smith College Swimming & Diving
Lindsey L’Roy, University of Tennessee Swimming and Diving
Karin Langer, Carleton College Swimming & Diving
Anna Lee, UC Davis Swimming & Diving
Anisa Lester, Carleton College Swimming & Diving
Jing Leung, Harvard Swimming & Diving
Sian Lewandowki, Macalester Swimming
Janelle Lief, Western New England University Swimming
Danielle Liu, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Zella Lobo, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Sydney Lofquist, USC, University of Wisconsin Swimming and Diving
Mackenzie Logan, University of Nevada Las Vegas Swim & Dive
Connor Lohman, Brown University Swimming and Diving
Kennedy Lohman, University of Texas Swimming & Diving
Valentina Lohr, Cornell University Swimming & Diving
Sarah Magid, Carleton College Swimming
Alisha Mah, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
John Manchester, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Paul Maneri, University of Pennsylvania Swimming & Diving
Becca Mann, Team USA, University of Southern California
Maddie Mara, American University Swimming & Diving
Mackenzie Marrs, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Swimming & Diving
Summer Martin, Dartmouth College Swimming & Diving
Journey Martinson, Cal Poly Swimming & Diving
Zoe Mattingly, University of Michigan Swimming/Diving
Christine McCulla, United States Coast Guard Academy Swimming
Elizabeth McCulla, University of Delaware Swimming & Diving
Emma McGill, Seattle University Swimming
Abby McIlraith, Smith College Swimming & Diving
Katie McKay, University of North Carolina Swimming & Diving
William McNelis, Brown University Swimming & Diving
Kelly Meierotto, University of Alaska Swimming
Emily Meilus, Virginia Tech Swimming & Diving
Mia Meister, University of New England Swimming
Johanna Mellis, College of Charleston Swimming & Diving
Briana Meyer, UCLA Swim & Dive
Alex Meyers, Stanford University Swimming & Diving
Cori Michibata, Johns Hopkins University Swimming
Jake Mier, Vassar College Swimming & Diving
Annika Miller, Knox College Swimming & Diving
Emily Mitchell, Wheaton College Swimming & Diving, EDGE Swim Club
Katie Money, Auburn Swimming
Luke Morgan-Scott, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Quinn Murphy, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Andie Myers, University of Pennsylvania Swimming & Diving
Zoe Myers-Bochner, Swarthmore Swimming
Jacob Nason, Washington University in St. Louis Swimming & Diving
Jenny Natelson, Colorado College Swimming & Diving
Elisabeth Nesmith, Smith College Swimming & Diving
Matthew Newton, Connecticut College Swimming & Diving
Carmen San Nicolas, University of Miami Swimming & Diving
William Nicholson, Macalester College Swimming
Melina Nilson, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Mackenzie Niness, Villanova University Swimming & Diving
Nicholas Nocita, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Lucie Nordmann, Stanford University Swimming & Diving
Annie Norris, Lehigh University Swimming & Diving, Athletes’ Executive Committee (AEC) of USA Swimming
Francesca Noviello, Princeton Swimming & Diving
Kaela Nurmi, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Swimming & Diving
Joelle Ohr, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Charlotte O’Leary, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Claire O’Mara, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Ryan O’Neill, Pennsylvania State University Swimming & Diving
Courtney Otto, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Addie Paige, Colby College Swimming & Diving
Ava Palfreyman, Ithaca College Swimming & Diving
Julia Papp, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Jaehee Park, American University Swimming & Diving
Russell Payne, University of Minnesota Swimming
Jacob Pebley, Team USA
Ray Pedersen, Bates College Swimming & Diving
David J. Pfeifer, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Lauren Pich, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Kaitlyn Pierce, Knox College Swimming & Diving
Sofie Pietrantonio, Williams College Swimming & Diving
Sophie Piette, University of New England Swimming
Lauren Pitzer, Stanford University Swimming & Diving
Reid Pope, Brown University Swimming & Diving
Katie Priest, Williams College Swimming & Diving
Cathleen Pruden, Mount Holyoke College Swimming & Diving
Mary Pruden, Columbia University Swimming & Diving
Jay Pulitano, Sarah Lawrence College Swimming, Team New York Aquatics
Anna Rakowski, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Sofia Rauzi, University of Texas Swimming & Diving
Lyndsey Reeve, Pennsylvania State University Swimming & Diving
Ginger Ren, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Noah Richter, University of Kentucky Swimming & Diving
Olivia Rieur, Middlebury Swimming & Diving
Amy Roach, Carleton College Swim & Dive Team
Kate Rogers, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Lauren Rohde, Swarthmore College Swimming
Eric Ronda, Harvard Swimming
Charlotte Rosenberg, Brown University Swimming & Diving
Olivia Rubino, Ithaca College Swimming & Diving
Javier Ruisanchez, Puerto Rico National Team
Sadie Runeman, University of Texas Swimming & Diving
Saya Ryan, Washington University in St. Louis Swimming & Diving
G Ryan, Team USA, University of Michigan Swimming/Diving
Helaina Sacco, Colby-Sawyer College Swimming & Diving
Emily Sanders, Rice University Swimming
Anna Santamans, French Federation
Mariele Saunders-Shultz, Bucknell University Swimming & Diving
Nicholas Schlader, Loras College Swimming & Diving
Jon Schlafer, Brown University Swimming & Diving
Marly Schrom, Carleton College Swimming & Diving
Courtney Schultze, St. Olaf College Swimming & Diving
Allison Schumacher, University of Minnesota Swimming & Diving
Lauren Schutz, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Brayden Seal, Ohio State Swimming
Deborah Seiler, UC Davis Swimming & Diving
Stephanie Shao, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Kelly Sherman, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Cailley Silbert, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Jordan Silbert, Cornell University Swimming & Diving
Sydney Silver, University of Texas Swimming
Gabrielle Sims, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Maddy Sims, Northwestern Swimming
Ishani Singh, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Kendra Sirianni, Loras College Swimming & Diving
Breanne Siwicki, University of Minnesota Swimming
Delaney Smith, Williams College Swimming & Diving
Sean Smith, Rutgers University Swimming & Diving
Milana Socha, Carleton College Swimming & Diving, Northwestern University Swimming & Diving
Amy Socha, Tufts University Swim & Dive
Amy Song, Harvard Swimming & Diving
Gavin Springer, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Amanda Stadermann, Washington University in St. Louis Swimming & Diving
Neal Stepp, Texas Christian University Swimming & Diving
Leah Stevens, Stanford University Swimming & Diving
Sylvie Stoloff, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Laura Strachan, Swarthmore College Swimming
Alyssa Stringer, Knox College Swimming & Diving
Jessica Student, Slippery Rock University Swimming
Erica Sullivan, Team USA, University of Texas Swimming & Diving
Scarlett Sun, Georgetown University Swimming & Diving
David Swensen, University of Massachusetts Swimming & Diving
Astrid Swensen, University of Michigan Swimming/Diving
Sarah Swinnerton, Ithaca College Swimming & Diving
Steve Tan, Harvard Swimming and Diving
Hayden Tavoda, UC Berkeley Swimming & Diving
Lindsay Temple, Princeton University Swimming & Diving
McKenna Tennant, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Zach Thomas, Columbia University Swimming & Diving
Mikaela Thompson, Harvard Swimming and Diving
Ella Tierney, University of Texas Swimming & Diving
Grace Tierney, University of Wisconsin-Madison Swimming & Diving
Katie Trace, The Ohio State University Swimming and Diving
Jack Tribble, University of Minnesota Swimming and Diving
Sophia Tsai, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Mackenzie Tucker, Swarthmore College Swimming
Susannah Tuder, USA Swimming
Laura Turpen, Tulane University Swimming & Diving
Caitlin Tycz, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Arlyn Upshaw, Terrapins Swim Team, UCLA Swimming & Diving
Margaret Vaitkus, Northern Michigan University Swimming & Diving
Graham Walker, Kenya Swimming Federation, University of Denver Swimming & Diving
Eliana Wallock, Ithaca College Swimming & Diving
Matthew Warren, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Mimi Watts, American University Swimming & Diving
Katherine Wehrman, Smith College Swimming & Diving
Sarah Welch, Brown Swimming
Dani Wheeler, Nebraska Wesleyan Swimming
Jordan Wheeler, University of Texas Swimming & Diving
Eric Whisenant, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Morgan Whyte, Carleton College Swimming
Aidan Williams, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Demetra Williams, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Kim Williams, Stanford University Swimming & Diving
Sarah Wilson, Bowdoin College Swimming & Diving
Julia Wilson, Kenyon College Swim & Dive
Julie Witczak, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Swimming & Diving
Annie Wixted, Swarthmore College Swimming
Sebastian Wolff, Cornell Swimming & Diving
Emily Woo, Smith College Swimming & Diving
Verity Wray-Raabolle, Macalester College Swimming & Diving
Cheryl Xiang, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Gensi Xu, Knox College Swimming & Diving
Maxim Yakubovich, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Christian Yeager, Harvard University Swimming & Diving
Samantha Yeo, USA Swimming, Team Singapore, University of Michigan Swimming/Diving
Colten Young, Princeton University Swimming & Diving
Valerie Yoshimura, Harvard Swimming and Diving
Emily Zhang, George Washington University Swimming
Amy Zhao, Yale University Swimming & Diving
Grace Zhao, Stanford University Swimming & Diving
Maddy Zimmerman, Yale University Swimming & Diving