Southlake mayor criticized after tweet about transgender swimming champion
Southlake Mayor John Huffman is getting pushback on social media after he posted a tweet late Friday evening showing a meme of University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, the first known transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship.
The meme shows a man on a podium at a “Strong Woman Competition” from an episode of the cartoon “South Park” with a photo of Thomas below it.
In a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Huffman said he supports girls and women having an equal playing field in sports. But some accused him of bullying and posting “transphobic” messages on his Twitter account as an elected official.
“It is a fact that Lia Thomas is a biological male,” Huffman wrote. “It is a fact that it is profoundly unfair for Lia Thomas to be allowed to compete against female swimmers. Anybody who disputes these facts embraces the destruction of women’s sports. I will always stand up for girls across this country — including my two daughters — who have a right to compete in their sports on a fair and level playing field.”
One reply to Huffman’s tweet stated: ”This is highly immature and mean spirited. If you don’t agree with how the NCAA is handling the situation you have a right to post from a personal account. Posting from your elected account is highly inappropriate. As a constituent I am asking you to please remove it.”
A number of groups and athletes have questioned whether it is fair for an athlete born as a biological male to compete against women. Thomas had competed for the Penn men’s team for three seasons.
A woman who wrote she was the mother of a former NCAA Division I athlete said there are some fairness issues that need to be addressed. “However, your hateful tweet is what is ruining our city. You are blinded by your own ignorance that you can’t even see how your tweet is bigoted. SMH!!”
Another wrote in a post that he thinks it would be more productive for Huffman to have an open conversation rather than posting memes.
“If you think there is a problem in women’s sports, do you think establishing an open dialogue between dissenting groups would be more tactful than posting a transphobic meme?”
Some were in support of the mayor’s views. One said: “Ignore the dozen or so Twitter activists in the replies John. The entire sane world is with you.”