Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) recently took a public stand in support of the LGBTQ+ community by co-sponsoring an award ceremony honoring transgender swimmer Lia Thomas with a ‘Voice of Inspiration’ award. The event, held by Rainbow Lab’s Violet Visionary Awards on Thursday night, saw Thomas receive the honor in recognition of her impact on the LGBTQ+ community. The ceremony also received sponsorship from the Los Angeles Dodgers, though both teams declined to comment to Fox News Digital when asked about their stance on Thomas receiving the award.
Thomas, a transgender woman who won a national title in women’s swimming in 2022, became a focal point of the national debate on transgender athletes in women’s sports. Her victory, which led to increased scrutiny over the inclusion of transgender individuals in competitive athletics, has sparked ongoing discussions about fairness and equality in sports. At the ceremony, a LAFC spokesperson, Daisy Chavez, spoke about the club’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, stating, ‘We are a community of queer fans, local leaders, supporters, and activists of the Los Angeles Football Club. And if you don’t know, we follow sports because we’ve always been here.’ Chavez emphasized the club’s support for LGBTQ+ fans and its role in representing the queer community.
Riley Gaines, an athlete who competed against Thomas at the national tournament, expressed frustration with the award, arguing that it undermines the achievements of female athletes. ‘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. The controversy has deepened in light of legal and political debates over transgender participation in women’s sports, as 29 states have enacted regulations restricting trans athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order also aims to ban transgender athletes from competing in female sports, further fueling the debate over inclusion and fairness in athletics.