“We keep calling this progress for women, and it is not. It is regressive,” says Inga Thompson, a retired U.S. cyclist, ten-time national champion, and three-time Olympian, on allowing biologically male athletes to use women’s locker rooms.
“Five years ago, if there was a naked male in a women’s space, this would have been considered some form of an assault,” Thompson says. “And now, we go through reeducation camp to change our ways and to be able to accept having a lot of the newer verbiage.”
Many women are quietly quitting competitive athletics because they feel it’s not a fair playing field, she warned.
One of the most vocal people to speak up is swimmer Riley Gaines, who was physically attacked at San Francisco State University.
“Riley is saying what everybody is scared to say,” Thompson said.