Lia Thomas, the transgender 2022 NCAA women’s swimming champion, is set to receive the Voice of Inspiration Award at Rainbow Labs’ Violet Visionary Awards on Thursday.
Thomas’ national title ignited nationwide controversy and is seen as a major factor in the debate surrounding transgender athlete participation in girls’ and women’s sports.
The award “honors an individual whose story and actions ignite hope and courage within the LGBTQ+ community,” according to Rainbow Labs’ website.
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The annual event “honors individuals and organizations that embody the spirit of empowerment, resilience, and joy. We will uplift 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 will “[celebrate] LGBTQIA+ leaders, mentors, and changemakers who are lighting the way for the next generation.”
Riley Gaines, who competed against Thomas and had the same time as the former UPenn swimmer at the national tournament, expressed her disapproval.
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“Voice of inspiration? The only people Will Thomas inspires are other men who realized you can take everything from women – our records, our spaces, our opportunities – and still get a standing ovation,” Gaines told OutKick, referring to Thomas by her birth name. “It’s 2025, not 2020. We’re done pretending that’s courage.”
OutKick was the first to report on Thomas’ recognition at the event.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Football Club, among others, are sponsoring the event. Neither club has responded to OutKick’s request for comment on whether Thomas should be recognized as a “voice of inspiration.”
The Dodgers previously honored the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an anti-Catholic drag “nun” group, with their Community Hero Award at Pride Night in 2023. After criticism from fans and players, their initial invitation was withdrawn, but they were later reinvited, and the team issued an apology.
Twenty-nine states have laws concerning trans athletes in girls’ and women’s sports. In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order preventing trans athletes from competing against females.
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