Viral Photo Does Not Show Opponents Protesting Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas | Poynter

When University of Pennsylvania transgender swimmer Lia Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle event at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming Championship, she made history as the first known transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship in any sport.

But what could have been seen as a milestone for transgender athletes and the LGBTQ+ community was quickly surrounded in controversy. Following her win, this photo quickly went viral online, which many claimed to show the second, third and fourth place swimmers protesting against Thomas’ inclusion in the competition. 

But is that really the case? Here’s how we fact-checked it.

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