Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Florida Gov. DeSantis: Transgender swimmer's victory a fraud

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is jumping into the conversation about a transgender swimmer who won a collegiate title by declaring the runner-up as the real winner

Via AP news wire
Wednesday 23 March 2022 14:23 GMT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis jumped into the conversation about a transgender swimmer who won a collegiate title by declaring the runner-up as the real winner.

DeSantis signed a proclamation Tuesday declaring declaring Florida-born Emma Weyant as the winner of the women's 500-yard (457-meter) freestyle at the NCAA women's tournament, rather than transgender athlete Lia Thomas.

“By allowing men to compete in women’s sports, the NCAA is destroying opportunities for women, making a mockery of its championships, and perpetuating a fraud,” DeSantis said on Twitter.

His proclamation comes nearly a year after he signed a bill that requires anyone participating in girls' athletics to have an original birth certificate stating they are female.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in