Harvard swimmer tears into Biden admin for using trans sports debate as ‘their civil rights movement’
Abby Carr competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022
Biden admin is ‘trying to have their civil rights moment’ with trans sports: Abby Carr
Collegiate swimmer Abby Carr, who competed against Lia Thomas, shares her perspective on the debate surrounding transgender athletes in women’s sports.
One collegiate athlete is calling out the Biden administration for using the debate surrounding transgender athletes as "their civil rights moment" at the expense of female athletes.
"I think the Biden administration, quite frankly, is trying to have their civil rights moment. They're trying to make this their civil rights activism purpose is they're going to save transgender sports. However, they're doing that by discriminating against women," Harvard swimmer Abby Carr said.
On "Varney & Co" Friday, Carr explained her Ivy League swim team competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022. Thomas, who was swimming for the University of Pennsylvania, dominated.
"My team raced against Thomas [in] 2022 and she won. She won pretty much everything she swam," Carr said. "At the time, we were advised to stay quiet just to focus on our own races, really just to focus on winning our own Ivy Championship."
"In reflection, this was quite out of line. Thomas clearly had the biological advantage in every race she competed in."
Carr has joined other female athletes like former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines in sounding the alarm on the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports.
Riley Gaines: Parents and children are silenced over transgender athletes competing in sports
Independent Women's Forum spokeswoman Riley Gaines speaks out against transgender women competing against biological females on 'The Bottom Line.'
"What unfortunately should just be a blunt scientific reality determining an athletic issue has become so far politicized that we can't even have a rational conversation about it," Carr said.
"I spoke about it a few weeks ago, and I said something to the effect of my you know, my journey in athletics has been far-reaching and formative, but I should not have to race biological males. I'll even use the terminology that the left wants – assigned male at birth. I should not have to raise someone in that capacity because it is simply not fair. And yet it's become so politicized that we can't even have these conversations open and honestly."
Politically, the issue has become extremely divisive with many Republicans siding in favor of excluding transgender athletes from women's competitions. On the opposite side, many Democrats, including the White House, firmly support allowing athletes to compete as their chosen sex rather than what was assigned at birth.
The House passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in April which aims to prevent biological males from competing as transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports at schools across the country.
It was approved with a 219-203 vote. All the "yes" votes reportedly came from Republicans, while all the "no" votes came from Democrats.
Republicans defended the bill as an attempt to spare women and girls from having to unfairly compete against biological males with physical advantages. Democrats argued that the GOP bill is an extension of the bullying facing transgender students in schools.
Trans athletes in women’s cycling championship division is ‘simply unfair’: Taylor Silverman
Female skateboarder Taylor Silverman sounds off on governing sports bodies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s divisions ahead of the 2023 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships.
The White House has also made its perspective on the debate clear most recently seen in an exchange between Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and a reporter. Jean-Pierre responded to a reporter's question that it is "dangerous" to ask if women are safe when playing with biological males in sports.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
In addition, the Biden administration's Pride Month celebration on the South Lawn earlier this month included a new pastel tribute to transgender, non-binary and intersex Americans that was hung from the portico of the people’s house.
During the event, a banner with a multicolored hodgepodge of stripes hung from the White House portico between two American flags.
"It's interesting watching the Biden administration push aside these narratives, these real-life stories from female athletes like Riley Gaines and others that we're seeing now all over the country," Carr said, calling out the administration.
"They clearly are not protecting women's sports."
The White House did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News' Kerry J. Byrne and FOX Business' Kristen Altus contributed to this report.