Riley Gaines, an outspoken advocate for keeping women’s sports fair, recently criticized WNBA athlete Brittney Griner for supporting biological males competing in women’s sports.
On Monday, former NCAA swimmer Gaines appeared as a guest on “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” where she discussed transgender women competing against biological females in sports.
Just last week, Griner – the female basketball player that the U.S. traded Russian prisoner “Merchant of Death” for – spoke out on the debate over whether transgender women should participate in sports with biological women.
“That ranks high on the list of things I’ll be fighting for and speaking up against,” Griner said when asked about her stance on the issue. “Everyone deserves the right to play. Everyone deserves the right to come here, sit in these seats, and feel safe And not feel like there’s the threat, or they can’t be who they are, or like it’s just all eyes on them.”
Griner then said she thinks it’s a “crime” to bar biological males, who have a significant physical advantage, from competing against women in sports.
Brittney Griner claims it’s a “crime” to stop biological males from being able to compete against women in sports. pic.twitter.com/CTM9mV9nDz
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) April 28, 2023
Anti-American soccer player Megan Rapinoe is also in full support of men dominating women’s sports.
In April, Rapinoe, Griner, and 38 other athletes signed an open letter to Congress expressing opposition to a bill that would seek to ban transgender athletes from competing in school sports leagues that do not align with their biological sex.
Ironically, in their letter that advocates for men to take over women’s sports, the female athletes wrote, “We believe that gender equity in sport is critical” and demand female athletes be given equal opportunities.
However, the same group of athletes is pushing to allow men to take away athletic accomplishments, potential scholarships, and more from biological women.
On Monday, Gaines spoke out against this letter and shared her thoughts on the importance of keeping men out of women’s sports.
“It just blows my mind you have people like Brittney Griner, you have someone like Megan Rapinoe and those 27 other athletes that signed on, you have someone like Billie Jean King who was once a crusader for women’s sports. We really have Billie Jean King to credit for Title IX. And these women are now coming out, and, of course, they’re either done playing or at the end of their career. And of course, none of these three ladies I mentioned, they don’t have daughters to defend,” Gaines said to Tafoya.
“So, hearing them advocate for male inclusion in women’s sports in women’s spaces, like locker rooms, it’s just disingenuous. It’s, to me, knowing these women are done playing for on the verge or on the verge of being done playing, they have nothing to lose. They would rather be kind and inclusive and virtue signal but in reality, it’s not inclusive to allow men into our sports. It’s exclusive. It’s exclusive to the very female athletes who Title IX was passed to protect.”
Gaines also addressed the misleading claim that the related bills at the federal and state levels are meant to bully transgender people and prevent them from competing in sports. She pointed out that they only prevent trans people from competing against the gender they identify as.
“What they constantly say is this is a hate bill, it bans trans athletes from playing. Just like you mentioned, this does not ban anyone. I do not believe anyone, regardless of your age, your race, your sex, your gender identity, your sports you’re playing – no one should be banned from playing sports,” Gaines said. “That’s the silliest assumption ever. Everyone is entitled to fair and safe play and that’s exactly what these state bills, that’s exactly what Title IX was passed to protect, and these federal bills that are going through. That’s what this argument is about. It’s fairness.”
