Lia Thomas, the transgender-identifying swimmer who won the 2022 NCAA women’s championship, will receive the Voice of Inspiration Award at Rainbow Labs’ Violet Visionary Awards on Thursday. The event is sponsored by the Los Angeles Dodgers and LA Football Club.
According to Rainbow Labs’ website, the award “honors an individual whose story and actions ignite hope and courage within the LGBTQ+ community.” The annual event celebrates individuals and organizations that “embody the spirit of empowerment, resilience, and joy” and aims to “uplift the power of LGBTQIA+ expression – in fashion, art, dance, voice, and story – as a revolutionary force fueling queer joy and collective freedom,”
OutKick reported that both the Dodgers and LAFC did not respond to requests for comment about Thomas’s selection. Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, however, criticized the decision.
“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 the outlet.
The Dodgers have faced controversy in the past over their involvement with left-wing and LGBT groups. In 2023, the team drew backlash for honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an anti-Catholic drag group that dresses as nuns, with a Community Hero Award during Pride Night. The team initially rescinded the invitation following criticism but later reinstated it and issued an apology.
