Last week, ex-NCAA swimmer and 12-time All-American champion, Riley Gaines, faced criticism from demonstrators after her address at San Francisco State University. She is currently frustrated with soccer icon Megan Rapinoe for opposing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, accusing her of “virtue signaling.”
Gaines responded to a Rapinoe tweet from March in which she, along with Sue Bird and others, endorsed an Athlete Ally letter to House lawmakers that opposed the act. Gaines reacted to the message, which stated, “Today, politicians in DC are claiming to ‘protect women’s sports’ by promoting a trans & intersex sports ban. Contact your Congressional representative today to express that women’s sports need safeguarding from unequal pay, sexual abuse & insufficient resources, NOT from trans children.”
In reply, Gaines wrote in a now-removed tweet, “It’s important to mention that 1) you have ceased competing in sports and 2) as someone who is not sexually attracted to men, you will never have a daughter to advocate for. To me, this simply appears to be virtue signaling because you have nothing personally at risk.”
Gaines condemned San Francisco State University for celebrating a “peaceful” protest, asserting that trans activists assaulted her after she called for keeping transgender athletes out of women’s sports. She has threatened legal proceedings against the institution for their alleged negligence in assisting her following the attack. Gaines alleges she was hit twice by a transgender woman and had to barricade herself for hours in a classroom.
Notwithstanding these incidents, Jamillah Moore, vice president for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management, expressed gratitude to the students for their demonstration, remarking, “It required immense courage to stand in such a difficult environment.”
The university police department is currently conducting an ongoing investigation into the protests.
Gaines, who competed against former UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas, has been outspoken regarding her disapproval of trans athletes participating in women’s sports.
