The Umbrella ep. 07 (part one) — Lia Thomas and the trans athlete debate

The Umbrella ep. 07 (part two) — Trans athletics at Trinity

In the previous episode, we heard from Ardi Saunders, a senior at Trinity University and a trans athlete who runs track and cross country. We talked about how 2022 started off with a bang as a transgender swimmer for UPenn, Lia Thomas, smashed meet records and sparked controversy over trans inclusion within sports. Now, CNN [https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/us/lia-thomas-transgender-swimmer-ivy-league/index.html] is calling Thomas “the face of the debate on transgender women in sports.” While much of the press surrounding Thomas as an individual has died down, the topic of trans athletes has not. In fact, after the NCAA changed their transgender policy to be by a sport-by-sport basis, many colleges—including Trinity—are in a period of adjustment.

The Umbrella ep. 07 (part one) — Lia Thomas and the trans athlete debate

The media firestorm around UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas’ record-shattering performances at the Zippy Invitational has once again reopened the issue of transgender inclusion in sports. Just as the public began to understand the policies that allowed a transgender woman to compete on a women's swim team, the NCAA changed their protocol for transgender inclusion. In part one of this two-part episode, we’re going to dive deeper than the headlines to clarify how exactly trans athletes fit into sports today on a national scale and here at Trinity University.

The Umbrella ep. 06 — Anti-transgender healthcare bills and their implications

This episode will mention self-harm and suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741. The Trans Lifeline is (877) 565-8860. 2021 has already beat 2020 when it comes to the number of anti-trans laws proposed on the state level. Anti-trans healthcare laws would ban access to gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth, and one of these in Arkansas, after a little over a month long battle, just passed. The debate over trans healthcare is a grave one because, for a lot of teenagers affected, this is a life or death issue.

The Umbrella ep. 04 — Pronouns 101

In this episode, we answer listener questions about pronouns. If you have more questions or topics you want covered on The Umbrella, feel free to send them to lcrews@trinity.edu. Timestamps 1:34: Navigating having more than one pronoun 4:08: Neopronouns 7:46: Tips to remember someone's new pronouns 15:40: What to do when you mess up someone's pronouns 20:37: What cisgender people can do to normalize conversations about pronouns