How Riley Gaines Became the Face of Women's Rights, In Her Own Words
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines says her willingness to speak the truth is the reason that she has become a point person in the cause of keeping women’s sports for women.
“I think people are hungry for the truth and … we’ve just had people in those powerful leadership positions who aren’t willing to say the truth,” Gaines told The Western Journal at the “We Won’t Back Down” rally, which took place near the annual NCAA convention in Phoenix last week.
“And that truth is that men and women are different. We’re not the same,” she added.
“And, of course, that’s not to say that women are inferior. No, absolutely not. But we’re different. And we deserve to be celebrated and recognized based on our uniqueness and our own physical ceilings,” Gaines said.
Gaines and several other college athletes, past and present, delivered a petition to NCAA representatives on Thursday calling for women’s sports to remain for women.
The petition was signed by more than 70,000 people.
@Riley_Gaines_ and fellow NCAA women athletes, past and present, deliver petition signed by over 70K calling on the #NCAA to keep women’s sports for women! @IWF pic.twitter.com/DH4kd34dZa
— Randy DeSoto (@RandyDeSoto) January 11, 2024
Gaines, an Independent Women’s Forum ambassador and host of OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast, made headlines during the 2022 NCAA swimming championships after she tied Lia Thomas, a man who claims to be a woman.
The two finished in fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle, but the NCAA gave the trophy to Thomas, a senior who had previously competed on the University of Pennsylvania men’s team.
Gaines was given a sixth-place trophy.
Here’s a photo of Lia Thomas and Riley Gaines after they tied for 5th in the women’s 200 freestyle.
Riley told @realDailyWire that an official told her to hold the sixth place trophy.
“We just want Lia to hold the fifth place trophy.”
(via Getty by Rich von Biberstein) pic.twitter.com/hMKPlx6UhW
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) March 23, 2022
Thomas also won first place in the 500-yard freestyle.
Gaines told The Western Journal that she believes courage is the most admirable virtue, and it is lacking in the U.S. right now.
“We need more courageous people. And I would say people call me courageous, which is crazy for simply saying men and women are different. But in today’s climate, it does take courage to say that,” she said.
“We are sick and tired of NOT being heard.”
‼️ @Riley_Gaines_ is calling out @CharlieBakerMA for not responding to the concerns & stories of the female athletes who have been harmed, left out, & discriminated against under his leadership. We won’t back down! 💪 pic.twitter.com/uC8lqJFskS
— Independent Women’s Forum (@IWF) January 11, 2024
Asked how she would like to see the trans athlete issue addressed, Gaines argued sports participation should be based entirely on biology.
“What I think the solution is to this issue … is exactly what we’ve been doing the past 50 years: having two categories on the basis of our sex, one category for males and one category for females,” she said.
“Women’s sports should only be for women. There’s no compromise that women should have to make,” Gaines asserted.
“Everyone, of course, is allowed to play. No one is being banned. It’s just a matter of playing where it’s fair and where it’s safe. And I don’t understand why that’s overly controversial.”
Gaines noted that 70 percent of the public, “regardless of political affiliation, agree that allowing men into women’s sports and into women’s locker rooms is wrong, and it’s harmful to women and the integrity of women’s sports.”
“You and I both know there’s not a lot of issues that 70 percent of Americans agree on nowadays, but this is one of those.”
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