Chalmers Becomes Latest Target of Fake LGBTQI Posts Circulating on Facebook

Australian Olympic Swimmer Kyle Chalmers Targeted by Fabricated Anti-LGBTQ Quotes

False statements attributed to Australian swimming star Kyle Chalmers about LGBTQ athletes have been spreading across social media platforms, prompting Swimming Australia to issue a formal denial.

The fabricated quotes claim that Chalmers threatened to withdraw from the Australian swim team if “tickets are sold to LGBT athletes.” Additional manufactured statements include alleged attacks on transgender American swimmer Lia Thomas and comments about “woke culture.”

“I will never swim with Lia Thomas. This is an insult to the sport,” reads one falsely attributed quote circulating on Facebook. Another fabricated statement claims Chalmers said, “WE DON’T PLAY TO CELEBRATE THEIR STUPID PRIDE.”

Swimming Australia has categorically refuted these claims. “There are currently fabricated quotes attributed to Dolphin Kyle Chalmers appearing on social media,” a spokesperson stated. “Kyle Chalmers has never been interviewed by Swim Hub or Swim Aquatics and additionally has never provided commentary on LGBT or Transgender athletes.”

The false statements appear primarily on two Facebook pages, “Swim Hub” and “Swim Aquatics,” neither of which are legitimate news sources. A thorough search of credible news outlets and Chalmers’ own social media accounts reveals no record of him making such remarks.

Chalmers is not the first Australian swimmer to be targeted with fake quotes. Fellow Olympian Mollie O’Callaghan was recently the subject of similar fabricated anti-LGBTQ statements, which fact-checkers have already debunked. Some of the false posts about Chalmers even reference his alleged support for O’Callaghan’s supposed stance.

Many of these fabricated quotes specifically mention Lia Thomas, who gained significant media attention after transitioning in 2019 and competing on the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s swim team. In 2022, World Aquatics, the sport’s governing body, implemented rules that effectively barred Thomas and other transgender athletes from elite women’s swimming events. Thomas subsequently lost a legal challenge against this decision, preventing her from competing in Paris Olympics qualifiers.

Cybersecurity experts identify these types of posts as “engagement bait” — content designed to provoke reactions, shares, and comments to boost visibility through social media algorithms. Dan Halpin, CEO of cyber investigations firm Cybertrace, explained that such content can be monetized through advertising revenue or by selling high-traffic pages.

“It’s basically spam and many users don’t check or care if it’s true or not,” Halpin noted.

The proliferation of these false attributions comes at a time when transgender participation in sports remains a contentious issue globally. Elite swimming has been at the center of this debate since Thomas’ emergence in collegiate competition, with various sporting bodies implementing policies regarding transgender athlete participation.

For athletes like Chalmers, who are preparing for major international competitions, these fabricated controversies create unwanted distractions and potentially damage their public image among those who do not verify the authenticity of such claims.

Social media users are encouraged to verify information through official channels and credible news sources before sharing content, particularly when it involves controversial statements from public figures.