The sports scene was again the scene of controversy this week after the American conservative commentatorCandace Owensmade a vehement statement in social networks demanding the immediate elimination of the transgender swimmerLia Thomasof female competitions. In his speech, Owens said that the participation of trans athletes in female categories represents a direct threat to “equality and justice achieved by women for decades.”
“This is not inclusion, it is suppression. We face the end of female sports just if we do not act now,” Owens said in a video that quickly went viral, accumulating millions of visualizations and reviving the global debate about gender identity and equity in sport.
Lia Thomas, who jumped to fame after competing for the University of Pennsylvania and becoming the first trans athlete to win a national women’s university championship in the United States, has been a central figure in this fight. For many, his career represents inclusion and progress. For others, it symbolizes an alleged competitive injustice caused by biological differences.
The reactions to the Owens statement were intense and divided.Conservative groups, athletes and sports commentators in favor of women’s rightsThey have expressed their support, arguing that Owens’s call is a necessary equity cry. “We are seeing that women lose scholarships, records and podiums due to a policy that ignores science,” said a former Olympic swimmer.
On the other hand,Defenders of LGBTQIA+ rights and diversity organizationsThey accused Owens of transphobia and promoting hate speech. “This type of marginal speech endangers trans athletes who already face huge challenges simply to compete,” said a human rights campaign spokesman.
Meanwhile, the main sports organizations such as the International Olympic Committee and the NCAA continue to discuss adjustments to inclusion guidelines, trying to balance science, gender identity and sports equity.
So far, Lia Thomas has not responded publicly to Owens’s statements. The episode, however, shows that high performance sport remains one of the most delicate and controversial fields in gender discussions in the 21st century.
