Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas Faces Backlash for Antifa 'Soldier' Shirt

Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas has reportedly been photographed wearing an "Antifa Super Soldier" shirt.

Thomas first began making national headlines in 2021, due to being transgender and defeating rival college swimmers by large margins. It ignited a debate about whether transgender swimmers, as in Thomas' case, should be allowed to compete against cis rivals of the female gender.

The conversation has only become more forceful since as swimmers competing against Thomas have voiced displeasure over squaring off against, as one Virginia Tech swimmer said last year, "someone who went through puberty as a male and has the body of a male."

Andy Ngo, editor at The Post Millennial, on Monday tweeted a photo screenshot purportedly of Thomas wearing the Antifa-related attire, a reference to the anti-fascism organization composed of far-left-leaning militant groups that have in the past routinely gotten into clashes with neo-Nazis, white supremacists and members of the Proud Boys at various events.

The Instagram account that allegedly posted the photo is a private account, and the relationship between the individuals is unknown. Newsweek reached out to the user via direct message and to Thomas via email and social media.

"Trans violent militancy is the current focus of #Antifa," Ngo wrote in the tweet accompanying the image. "They believe that critics of trans ideology should be silenced, maimed or murdered. Some call for sexual violence against females in particular, as revenge."

Other controversies have stemmed from the debate about transgenderism, leading to major economic fallout—especially for Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch, which has taken a massive hit following a partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney months ago that resulted in a whirlwind of social critiques and lost revenue.

Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer who competed against Thomas, has become a rising voice against Thomas' ability to participate in the same arena as cis females—previously labeling Thomas' more recent accomplishments as "utter disregard and disrespect towards women who have dedicated their entire lives to their sport."

Gaines opined on Thomas wearing the Antifa attire, writing Monday in a tweet, "Doesn't this make so much sense."

"I haven't specifically bashed Lia Thomas on anything (other than calling him an entitled narcissist which I stand by) because ultimately he was following the rules in place," Gaines wrote. "But this is disturbing."

Other Twitter accounts, including Libs of TikTok, also shared the image of Thomas while criticizing Antifa.

Gaines has supported a "Save Women's Sports" movement that most Americans agree with based on certain polling.

While more U.S. citizens now know someone who is transgender compared to a couple of years ago, more of them also believe that transgender athletes should only be allowed to compete on teams that conform with their birth gender, according to a Gallup survey from 2022.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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