“I am a woman, just like anybody else on the team,” Lia Thomas, the transgender collegiate swimmer, said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Except, no, Lia is not a woman, and Lia is surely not like anybody else on the women’s swimming team. It is absurd to think otherwise, and such talk must stop. It has gone on long enough.

Lia is not, nor ever will be, a woman. Lia can refer to Lia in any particular way Lia wants. Lia can dress however Lia wants.

Lia can identify however Lia wants. But Lia has male genitalia. Lia does not have breasts. Lia cannot bear children or produce eggs. Lia does not have a menstrual cycle. Lia will never go through menopause. These are the biological norms for being a woman. These are facts. This is science. And, as we all know from the past two years, science must be trusted.

Lia’s declaration of being a woman, and subsequently having an article published in Sports Illustrated celebrating it, should raise flags. One cannot authentically change from male to female just by saying so. Embracing such a fantasy will cause irreparable harm to women in the future. It will ultimately result in the loss of opportunities for women in every aspect of society.

If a male wishes to self-identify as female, that’s a personal choice. However, his right to embrace a female identity must not infringe on the rights and opportunities of actual females. Real women should not have to suffer so Lia Thomas can identify as one. “I’m a woman, so I belong on the women’s team,” the swimmer said in the interview. “Trans people deserve that same respect every other athlete gets.”

But Lia is not a woman, and Lia’s anatomy and physiology show that. As far as respect is concerned, other athletes do not traditionally compete against opponents who are biologically different. And, as the saying goes, “respect is earned, not given.” For Lia to describe Lia as “just like anybody else on the team” is delusi onal.

Nobody else on the female swimming team at the University of Pennsylvania swam on the men’s team for three years. No other female had the bone structure of a male. No other females benefited from a larger percentage of skeletal muscle that post-pubescent male bodies have. None of the other females have the larger hearts that men do (proportionate to body size). And last but certainly not least, none of the other females enjoyed the height advantage Lia Thomas did.

Lia Thomas is a microcosm of the larger problem regarding transgender people in society — a sense of entitlement. Initially, the transgender rights movement sought to achieve equality and acceptance. People fought to not be discriminated against or have their civil rights violated. Yet, those days are gone. It has morphed into a toxic crusade advocating priority and privilege.

It encourages acts such as Lia Thomas announcing (and believing) that Lia is a woman — when it is categorically not true. Furthermore, while Lia seeks respect, Lia has directly benefited from disrespecting Lia’s teammates. They lost the right to fair athletic competition because of Lia. They lost the right to not be exposed to male nudity in their locker room.

They lost the right to be crowned champions of certain events because Lia had faster times. It is true that Lia should not be disrespected. However, Lia Thomas must also respect others – especially the women who lost their rights so Lia could shine. The case of Lia Thomas represents an important cultural issue. Transgender people should not be victims of any form of discrimination, harassment, or violation of their civil rights.

At the same time, transgender propaganda must not be allowed to recreate science or tear down societal norms, but this is exactly what is occurring. Declaring pronouns, creating numerous genders, making up words in the English language, and vilifying anyone who disagrees with such things is not equality or respect. It is societal repression.