Staff Reports
A male athlete who identifies as “transgender” is gearing up to play in a women’s water polo club tournament for the second time, according to recent reports. Johnny “Alicia” Paans, a 31-year-old graduate student at the University of Michigan, will be participating in the 2024 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship in Texas. He previously competed in 2023 and achieved victory in the national women’s title.
A ‘Trans’ Athlete Will Compete in a Women’s Water Polo Championship, Again. pic.twitter.com/aFQCZdLld1
— Laszlo Knows 🇺🇸 (@Laszlo99659) May 2, 2024
In addition to his water polo skills, Paans has been praised as the “player of the week” by the club’s official Instagram account and is known for his success in women’s chess competitions. Despite being originally from the Netherlands and using his birth name in 2013, Paans now competes under the name “Alicia.” He reportedly immigrated to California in 2017 and has been using the female facilities when competing, as confirmed by the parents of his opponents.
The Collegiate Water Polo Association has put forth a policy and appeal process allowing so-called “transgender” athletes to compete based on their gender identity rather than their biological sex. This decision has raised concerns among some individuals who argue that allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports may compromise fairness and equal opportunities for all participants.
