Inga Thompson advocates for ending the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.
In a recent interview, former American Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson revealed that, despite being a lifelong Democrat, she found herself hopeful for Donald Trump’s presidency due to his stance on protecting women and girls in sports.
Thompson noted that Trump’s promise to end the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports was a significant factor in her support for him. During his campaign, Trump emphasized this issue, with ads portraying Vice President Kamala Harris as advocating for transgender women to compete against biological women. Trump even criticized trans inclusion in women’s sports, calling the policies “so far out.”
Thompson, who has been a vocal advocate for keeping biological males out of women’s sports, explained her shift in support for Trump. “If he’s going to protect women, I will vote for him,” she said. “This is the biggest threat to women that I can think of happening in my generation. And I have to vote for women.”
Her views, however, have not come without consequences. In 2023, she lost a director role with a cycling team after urging cyclists to protest the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)’s transgender athlete policy.
Thompson also expressed frustration with her own party, the Democrats, for supporting trans inclusion in women’s sports. “Did they not learn their lesson at the Olympics about how tone-deaf they are, how blind they are about what they’re doing to women?” she said. “I’m angry at the party, being a Democrat myself, that they continue to throw women under the bus. It would have been so easy for them to allow common sense to come back. But they won’t. It’s the final straw.”
Thompson clarified that her position wasn’t a partisan issue but one about “balance.” She emphasized, “None of us are radicals, we’re just about common sense.” She added that the Democrats’ response to the Protection of Women in Sports Act had made her feel that the party had lost its way.
Thompson’s stance is not unique among Democrats. A recent New York Times/Ipsos poll showed that a majority of Democrats, 67%, do not believe transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women’s sports. The issue also gained attention in the House of Representatives, where two Democrats voted with Republicans to ban male-born athletes from competing on girls’ sports teams.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, led by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., seeks to amend federal law to require student athletes to participate in sports teams that align with their gender at birth.
