OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former top-ranked University of Kentucky collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines has put Democratic lawmakers who are fathers of daughters on blast for opposing a Republican-led bill that would prohibit biological males from competing in all-female sports competitions.
Gaines, who took up being an advocate for women in sports after competing against trans-swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male who swam competitively for the University of Pennsylvania, told Fox News host Jesse Watters than Democratic fathers should be better champions and protectors of their daughters and support the GOP-led bill.
During her interview, she riffed on Democratic lawmakers who opposed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, accusing them of prioritizing their political interests over their responsibilities as parents.
“The partisan bill, which seeks to amend Title IX to prohibit schools that receive federal funding from allowing biological men from participating in women’s sports, passed the House late in April with a 219-203 vote. All the ‘yes’ votes came from Republicans, and all the ‘no’ votes came from Democrats, several of whom accused Republicans of “bullying” transgender student-athletes with their support of the legislation,” Fox News reported.
Gaines told Watters that she is baffled by the opposition from “spineless” male lawmakers who have daughters and won’t move to protect them.
“This is another question I tend to find myself asking, specifically and thinking about fathers… when every single Democrat voted in opposition of protecting women and girls in sports. In particular, I think of those dads who did that. Those dads, do they want their daughters sharing locker rooms with men?” she asked.
“Do they want their daughters losing out on opportunities being asked to kindly step aside and smile and give away their trophy to a man? Is that what they want?” Gaines continued.
“I truthfully believe in my heart the answer is no,” Gaines declared. “Yet, they are willing to throw that out of the window and say yes. That is what they want. And It’s because they are spineless. They have no backbone, no morals, and they are cowards.”
Gaines’ statement followed the viral speech of a high school senior in California, who criticized her school district for permitting a biological male student to use the women’s locker room. The student argued that the safety of women was at risk due to the school’s policy of allowing transgender students to use the same bathrooms and locker rooms as female students.
She referred to a viral video showing a physical altercation between a transgender student and a female student on campus.
Gaines’ statement followed the viral speech of a high school senior in California, who criticized her school district for permitting a biological male student to use the women’s locker room. The student argued that the safety of women was at risk due to the school’s policy of allowing transgender students to use the same bathrooms and locker rooms as female students in reference to a viral video showing a physical altercation between a transgender student and a female student on campus.
According to a report by Fox 11 in Los Angeles, parents claimed that the transgender student in question had a history of “erratic and uncomfortable behavior” and had been granted access to girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms. Students also alleged that the student had exposed their genitals in the girls’ locker room. The student was subsequently expelled from the school, and Riverside Police stated that this was not their first altercation.
Gaines noted that she had to share a locker room with Thomas, who still had his male genitalia.
“It seems to be whether that be at the state level, the federal level, across the general public, it seems that it’s women who are fighting the sex-based protections….it’s mind-boggling,” she said. “It’s something I truly don’t understand. Again, this is something that we are seeing almost unanimously.
“I think we can agree that women typically tend to be more agreeable. They tend to not want to ruffle feathers they don’t want to step on toes. But that’s how we have gotten here by being agreeable. By being quiet, by not being bold, and using our voice,” she added.
