Paula Scanlan discusses the future of women's sports

The former University of Pennsylvania swimmer spoke about her time on the same team as Lia Thomas

The Madison Federalist hosted former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Paula Scanlan at its first-ever speaker event in April.

The event was co-hosted by the Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute, which was founded “to defend women, common sense, and free speech.” Scanlan spoke about her time at Penn, particularly focusing on her experiences on the same team as transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who controversially won an NCAA women’s swimming title despite being a biological male.

Scanlan cited polls that show strong support for policies that require transgender people to participate in sports teams and use public restrooms that match their biological sex. However, she contrasted the high support for these policies with the lack of public advocacy for them.

"If 80% of Americans at least agree with this, why are we in the situation where we have to fight every single week to keep men out of women’s sports? Because people stay silent."

She argued that universities use intimidation tactics to keep students from speaking up. Scanlan said that, at UPenn, administrators told female swimmers, “Lia being on this team is a non-negotiable.”

"We were told that we were the ones who had to make ourselves comfortable. We were told that we were the ones that had to make the accommodations."

She said that one of her teammates resorted to changing “in a janitor's closet next to a dirty broom” because she felt so unsafe changing next to Thomas.

Scanlan said the women’s team was told not to talk to the media or they “would never be able to find a job.”

She said that it was ironic administrators told her this because, in her first job after college, "There were people who told me that they were lifelong Democrat voters and told me they also agreed with my opinion on this. And I found, actually, that this issue was much more unifying than it was divisive."

Scanlan also noted that social pressure played a major role in the silence of young people. She said that, when she eventually decided to speak up on the matter, even those who quietly agreed with her wanted to keep some distance.

Scanlan wrote an opinion piece for the University of Pennsylvania’s student newspaper, but it was heavily edited and eventually retracted less than an hour after it was published.

Scanlan said, "It is so important and valuable to speak up, to stay true to who you are, because that is how you make a difference, that is how you contribute to society... Being afraid and being silent is never how you’re going to accomplish that."

"If you are not willing to talk about it and say something and speak up for your beliefs, then it’s not even worth having them. You are just as bad as someone who thinks something completely different or nothing at all."

The Madison Federalist does not endorse any statements made by Scanlan during her speech. It serves as a free speech platform and does not take editorial positions.