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2022 NCAA women’s swimming champion Lia Thomas, who is transgender, will be the recipient of the Voice of Inspiration Award at Rainbow Labs’ Violet Visionary Awards on Thursday.
Thomas’ national title sparked a nationwide backlash and is seen as one of the catalysts in the battle over transgender athletes’ participation in girls’ and women’s sports.
The award “honors an individual whose story and actions inspire hope and courage within the LGBTQ+ community,” according to the Rainbow Labs website.
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Penn Quakers swimmer Lia Thomas prepares for the 100 freestyle at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships at Georgia Tech. (Brett Davis/USA Today Sports)
The annual event “honors individuals and organizations who embody the spirit of empowerment, resilience and joy. We will elevate the power of LGBTQIA+ expression – in fashion, art, dance, voice and story – as a revolutionary force fueling queer joy and collective freedom,” the site states, adding that it “[celebrate] LGBTQIA+ leaders, mentors and changemakers who are paving the way for the next generation. »
Riley Gaines, who faced Thomas and tied the former UPenn swimmer at the national tournament, was not happy.
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines react after finishing tied for fifth in the 200 freestyle final at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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“Voices of inspiration? The only people Will Thomas inspires are other men who have realized that you can take everything from women — our records, our spaces, our opportunities — and still get a standing ovation,” Gaines told OutKick, using Thomas’ birth name. “It’s 2025, not 2020. We’re done pretending this is courage.”
OutKick first reported on Thomas’ recognition at the event.
The event is sponsored by, among others, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Football Club. Both clubs did not respond to an inquiry from OutKick about whether Thomas should be honored as a “voice of inspiration.”
The Dodgers previously honored the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of anti-Catholic “nuns,” with their Community Hero Award on Pride Night in 2023. Their initial invitation was rescinded after backlash from fans and players, but they were invited back and the team issued an apology.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are recognized before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on June 16, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Twenty-nine states have regulations regarding trans athletes in girls’ and women’s sports. President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning trans athletes from competing against women in February.
