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Outrage over trans athletes is manufactured
To the editor:
Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of hearing Riley Gains display her lack of sportsmanship and outright ignorance and intolerance toward a competing athlete, Lia Thomas.
These two swimmers tied for fifth place. As anyone that has been to a meet/match/race whatever you call these things (I don't know the details of sports though I have been to watch my nephews compete) can understand that they do not have on hand duplicates of trophies on the off chance that there is a tie. Someone had to hold the sixth place trophy for the photo line up and the officials chose Riley with the promise of mailing her the fifth place trophy. A perfectly reasonable and, I would imagine, common occurrence.
Now let's just start with the obvious, five other women were as good or better than Riley just as five women were as good or better than Lia. Hmm, guess that kills the argument that Lia's previous wins were due to her "unfair advantage" and the athletes she beat need to suck it up and admit they lost because someone was better!
Just as I have watched my nephew break records and leave his competitors in the dust, Lia Thomas did the same. Anyone that whined about losing to ... blah, blah, blah she is trans … needs to admit that all they really wanted was someone to blame for their own personal shortcomings.
As with any athlete, as you advance, you will continue to win until you compete against someone better than you. Like I said, I'm don't know sports, but even I can understand that basic concept. You know what else happens? Records get broken all the time! Being trans has nothing to do with it!
I highly doubt that Sean Hannity would have had Riley Gains on his show to complain about having to hold a sixth place trophy if the person she tied with was any other competitor in the match. This is a fabricated culture war issue that serves no purpose other that to validate hate, divide and distract. Please stop holding animosity toward people you will never meet, whom will never have any affect on you personally, and whom just want to live their lives in peace.
Eric Becht
Mifflintown