ESPN&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/espns-samantha-ponder-bucks-network-joins-those-slamming-men-in-womens-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Samantha Ponder</a> fired back and said &#8220;biology isn&#8217;t bigotry&#8221; after a sports columnist slammed her as a bigot for stating that men shouldn&#8217;t be competing in women&#8217;s sports.
The <a href="https://twitter.com/samponder/status/1648727444151750656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1648727444151750656%7Ctwgr%5E88989c425de9f574ff237d51f75adb73780a7af2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fespns-samantha-ponder-bucks-network-joins-those-slamming-men-in-womens-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sports broadcaster&#8217;s</a> comments were labeled &#8220;plain old bigotry&#8221; by USA Today columnist Nancy Armour, who became upset with Ponder for defending women and supporting female swimming champion <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/riley-gaines-shares-messages-shes-gotten-from-female-athletes-competing-against-trans-identifying-males" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines,</a> who has advocated for banning men from women&#8217;s sports, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/espns-sam-ponder-claps-back-columnist-biology-not-bigotry?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-foxnews&amp;utm_content=later-35573129&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=linkin.bio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> reported.
&#8220;Biology is not bigotry,&#8221; Ponder tweeted on Thursday. &#8220;Loving people does not require the absence of boundaries.&#8221;
The post has since gone viral with 1.9 million views as of publication.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Biology is not bigotry. Loving people does not require the absence of boundaries.
&mdash; Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) <a href="https://twitter.com/samponder/status/1663935602226593793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The sports broadcaster previously retweeted a post from <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1661701667211948032?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gaines</a>, who shared text messages she&#8217;s received from female athletes in California who &#8220;feel helpless&#8221; competing against trans-identifying males in track and field.
In the original post, the former swimming champion — who was deprived of an NCAA award by trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas — said she&#8217;s heard from girls who were defeated by a trans-identifying male runner who took first place in a female sectional Meet of Champions and is now headed to the state championships.
In response, Ponder tweeted that it&#8217;s not &#8220;hateful&#8221; to demand &#8220;fairness in sports for girls.&#8221;
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&#8220;I barely said anything publicly about this issue &amp; I’ve had so many people message me, stop me in the street to say thank you+ tell me stories about girls who are afraid to speak up for fear of lost employment/being called hateful,&#8221; the ESPN broadcaster wrote. &#8220;It is not hateful to demand fairness in sports for girls.&#8221;
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I barely said anything publicly abt this issue &amp; I’ve had so many ppl msg me, stop me in the street to say thank you+ tell me stories abt girls who are afraid to speak up for fear of lost employment/being called hateful. It is not hateful to demand fairness in sports for girls <a href="https://t.co/teNoMDWNW4">https://t.co/teNoMDWNW4</a>
&mdash; Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) <a href="https://twitter.com/samponder/status/1661771033320337417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2023/05/28/espn-sam-ponder-calls-bigotry-fairness-in-tweets-about-trans-women-sports/70262521007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USA Today piece</a>, Armour wrote, &#8220;Don’t be fooled by the people who screech about &#8216;fairness&#8217; to cloak their bigotry toward transgender girls and women, the transgender girls and women who have the audacity to want to play sports, in particular.&#8221;
&#8220;This is, and always was, about hate, fear and ignorance,&#8221; the columnist added, before coming after the ESPN host for <a href="https://twitter.com/samponder/status/1648727444151750656?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeting</a> against President Joe Biden&#8217;s proposed changes to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-biden-education-rules-prohibit-blanket-bans-on-males-in-girls-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Title IX</a> that would prevent banning trans-identifying males from competing in women&#8217;s sports.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/womens-swimsuits-arent-accessorized-with-a-bulge-riley-gaines-slams-adidas-swimwear-line-modeled-by-male" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;Women&#8217;s Swimsuits Aren&#8217;t Accessorized With A Bulge&#8217;: Riley Gaines Slams Adidas Swimsuit Modeled By Male</a>

Samantha Ponder-1

‘Biology Is Not Bigotry’: ESPN Broadcaster Fires Back After Getting Slammed For Defending Women’s Sports

Entertainment

ESPN

Riley Gaines

Social Issues

Transgender Athletes

U.S.

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, a 12-time All-American athlete who was forced to compete against trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas in the 2022 NCAA Championships, endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president during an interview this week.
Gaines has since <a href="https://rileygaines.com/">dedicated</a> herself to defending and protecting &#8220;America’s daughters against the woke left and their gender-denying ideology.&#8221;
During a Thursday interview with Newsmax&#8217;s &#8220;The Balance&#8221; with Eric Bolling, Gaines made her endorsement of DeSantis.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been affected by this gender ideology propaganda that&#8217;s being pushed across this country,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I really understand the threat that we as Americans are under, just based off my own experience, and being forced to compete and change in a locker room with a male, as well as being physically attacked by a mob for simply saying that that&#8217;s unfair.&#8221;
Gaines argued that the Biden administration is actively discriminating against women and girls &#8220;systematically&#8221; throughout the U.S.
&#8220;That&#8217;s why this next election is so important for the sake of restoring and ultimately saving America and the people who live here,&#8221; she said. &#8220;So that being said, I&#8217;m so excited to announce that I am officially endorsing Governor DeSantis as president.&#8221;
&#8220;His leadership has been crucial in rooting out the radical ideology that&#8217;s really driving this insanity, and really bringing visibility to these cultural issues that affect the breakdown of families, the breakdown of faith, the breakdown of freedoms,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;He&#8217;s really taken on this political establishment, the woke corporations, the media, and he&#8217;s won. And we know this based off his success in Florida alone.&#8221;
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Bolling said that people often associate her with former President Donald Trump and asked her if she was ready for the blowback she was about to receive for endorsing DeSantis.
&#8220;I have the unwavering morals to know what I&#8217;m doing by endorsing Governor DeSantis is the right thing,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s the right thing for me, it&#8217;s the right thing for women, it&#8217;s the right thing for Americans.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Riley Gaines Endorses Ron DeSantis for President" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M5S6SHpph5Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Photo courtesy of Riley Gaines

Riley Gaines Endorses DeSantis For President: ‘It’s The Right Thing For Women’

2024 Election

Donald Trump

Elections

Politics

Ron DeSantis

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/womens-swimsuits-arent-accessorized-with-a-bulge-riley-gaines-slams-adidas-swimwear-line-modeled-by-male" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines</a> praised the British Cycling organization on Friday after it announced a ban on males competing in the female category, crediting them with &#8220;prioritizing fairness.&#8221;
The former swimming champion — who was deprived of an NCAA award by male swimmer Lia Thomas — responded to news: &#8220;Breaking: British Cycling departs from International Federation rules and limits women&#8217;s competitive cycling to the FEMALE SEX ONLY.&#8221;
&#8220;Great news!&#8221; Gaines tweeted on Friday. &#8220;Prioritizing fairness as intended to be in sports. Women should never be used as collateral damage to validate feelings/identity of others.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s time governing bodies of all sports follow [BritishCycling],&#8221; she added. Gaines also gave a special nod to three-time Olympian female cyclist <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/inga-thompson-3-time-olympian-us-calls-cyclists-protest-against-ucis-transgender-athlete-policy">Inga Thompson</a>, who recently encouraged women to protest the unfairness of women being forced to compete against males in her sport.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Great news! Prioritizing fairness as intended to be in sports. Women should never be used as collateral damage to validate feelings/identity of others. Its time governing bodies of all sports follow <a href="https://twitter.com/BritishCycling?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BritishCycling</a> 
Im certain you played a big part in this! <a href="https://twitter.com/ithompsonfdn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ithompsonfdn</a> ⭐️ <a href="https://t.co/3PVua6XYaq">https://t.co/3PVua6XYaq</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1662084093960413184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The governing body announced that the new cycling policy was made to &#8220;safeguard the fairness of competition,&#8221; The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-12127677/British-Cycling-BAN-transgender-women-racing-female-competition-safeguard-fairness.html">Daily Mail</a> reported.
The change includes making the current men&#8217;s category an &#8220;open&#8221; category where trans-identifying male cyclists can compete against other men, while the female category is just for those who were born female, the outlet noted.
British Cycling Chief Executive Jon Dutton said, &#8220;Our new policies are the product of a robust nine-month review process, which we know will have a very real-world impact for our community both now and in the future.&#8221;
&#8220;I am confident that we have developed policies that both safeguard the fairness of cyclesport competition, whilst ensuring all riders have opportunities to participate,&#8221; Dutton added.
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The review concluded that &#8220;even with the suppression of testosterone, trans women who transition post-puberty retain a performance advantage.&#8221;
Trans-identifying male cyclist Emily Bridges blasted the new policy, calling it a &#8220;violent act.&#8221; Bridges was previously set to compete in the female category of the National Omnium Championships. <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/who-is-emily-bridges-trans-cyclist-criticises-new-rules-143636396.html">Bridges</a> previously set the national junior men&#8217;s record over 25 miles before becoming a part of British Cycling&#8217;s Senior Academy in 2019. In 2020, Bridges began identifying as transgender.
The move comes just weeks after trans-identifying male cyclist American Austin Killips won the Tour of the Gila run by the UCI. After the uproar over <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/02/transgender-cyclist-austin-killips-wins-womens-race-causes-outrage/">Killips</a>, the group vowed to review its policy and make a ruling by August, a move many believe will include a ban on males competing in the female category.

Transgender Cycling

‘Prioritizing Fairness’: Riley Gaines Praises Cycling Group For Ban On Males Competing In Female Category

'Prioritizing Fairness’: Riley Gaines Praises Cycling Group For Ban On Males Competing In Female Category

Britain

Celebrities

Cycling

Sports

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/womens-swimsuits-arent-accessorized-with-a-bulge-riley-gaines-slams-adidas-swimwear-line-modeled-by-male" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines</a> shared text messages she&#8217;s gotten from female athletes in California who &#8220;feel helpless&#8221; competing against trans-identifying males in their sport, track and field.
The former swimming champion — who was deprived of an NCAA award by trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas — said she&#8217;s heard from girls who were beaten by a trans-identifying male runner who took first place in a female sectional <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/all-of-a-sudden-he-blew-past-the-girls-angry-parent-of-girl-runner-who-lost-to-boy-speaks-out?spot_im_redirect_source=pitc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meet of Champions</a> and is now headed to the state championships.
&#8220;Just a few of the many messages (I&#8217;ve) received from the girls + their parents in CA whose sport (Track and Field) is being infiltrated with mediocre men,&#8221; Gaines <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1661701667211948032?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> on Thursday.
&#8220;They feel helpless,&#8221; she added. &#8220;How can you read these and think what&#8217;s happening is okay? (It&#8217;s) discrimination against women and bullying at its finest.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Just a few of the many messages Ive received from the girls + their parents in CA whose sport (T&amp;F) is being infiltrated with mediocre men. They feel helpless. How can you read these and think what&#39;s happening is okay? Its discrimination against women and bullying at its finest. <a href="https://t.co/pF8iUECtpx">pic.twitter.com/pF8iUECtpx</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1661701667211948032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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One message from a female athlete called Gaines a &#8220;huge inspiration&#8221; and said &#8220;I didn&#8217;t qualify for XC [Cross Country] state because a trans[identifying male] took my spot. It&#8217;s my senior year in high school I&#8217;ll never get that chance again. Thank you for what you are doing.&#8221;
Another wrote, &#8220;The same biological male who I raced in XC[Cross Country] I also raced in track. And it all just feel unfair. I have absolutely no power to do anything. But I am grateful that the House tried to pass a bill to change things.&#8221;
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One person messaged Gaines that their daughter is &#8220;getting ready to run in the CA track state high school championships&#8221; and that there were &#8220;2 [males] taking the girls spots. What can we do? It&#8217;s not my daughters race but I&#8217;m sure it&#8217;s coming next. I feel so powerless to stop this. Can we fight this?&#8221;
During a recent event at San Francisco State University, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sick-and-infuriating-megyn-kelly-slams-insane-lunatics-who-attacked-riley-gaines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gaines</a> was verbally and physically assaulted by trans activists when she was on a campus to speak about the discrimination women are facing in their female sports.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/womens-swimsuits-arent-accessorized-with-a-bulge-riley-gaines-slams-adidas-swimwear-line-modeled-by-male">&#8216;Women&#8217;s Swimsuits Aren&#8217;t Accessorized With A Bulge&#8217;: Riley Gaines Slams Adidas Swimsuit Modeled By Male</a>

Riley Gaines Shares Messages She’s Gotten From Female Athletes Competing Against Trans-Identifying Males

Riley Gaines Shares Texts She’s Gotten From Female Athletes Who Lost To Trans-Identifying Male

California

Lia Thomas

Target

The Babylon Bee&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-dont-think-murder-fixes-a-rape-babylon-bee-ceo-seth-dillon-debates-joe-rogan-on-abortion-stance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seth Dillon</a> said Wednesday that women already had the power to save their sports leagues and that the people had the power to end wokeness — they just had to be willing to use it.
Dillon explained his position in a brief thread on Twitter, saying that when it comes to sports, all women really have to do is refuse to compete with biological males – which would force them to compete only with themselves.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been saying for some time that women can save their sports overnight by refusing to compete with men,&#8221; Dillon explained. &#8220;But that power isn&#8217;t limited to women or sports. Bud Light is proof that the upper hand is ours if we want it. Wokeness will die, but only as soon as we decide to kill it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Let Lia Thomas swim by himself. Let Bud Light expire on the shelf. Let the Ford Raptor transition into a girl in someone else&#39;s garage. Let Target&#39;s tuck-friendly satan swimsuits hang on the rack forever. Raise the cost of wokeness so high that no organization &#8212; no matter how…
&mdash; Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) <a href="https://twitter.com/SethDillon/status/1661457482256924676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Let Lia Thomas swim by himself. Let Bud Light expire on the shelf. Let the Ford Raptor transition into a girl in someone else&#8217;s garage. Let Target&#8217;s tuck-friendly satan swimsuits hang on the rack forever,&#8221; Dillon continued. &#8220;Raise the cost of wokeness so high that no organization — no matter how powerful or dominant — will be able to afford to promote it.&#8221;
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Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines – who was forced to compete against trans-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas at her final NCAA championship meet – raised a similar suggestion during a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-was-ready-to-go-to-dental-school-riley-gaines-became-an-activist-by-accident-but-shes-not-backing-down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent interview</a> with The Daily Wire.
Saying that she absolutely understood how heartbreaking it would be for girls to back out of competition — especially after training their entire lives to get to that point – refusing to compete against biological males might be the only way to send the message that they would not allow women&#8217;s sports to be taken over and women&#8217;s accomplishments to be systematically erased.
&#8220;It’s never too late to take a stance for the truth,&#8221; Gaines said. &#8220;I think if women were to not go when the gun blows — I know it’s easier said than done, I know girls shouldn’t have to give up anything, but boycotts are effective. It will be hard, but it could be effective if everyone can get on the same page.&#8221;

NCAA SWIMMING: MAR 18 Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships

‘The Upper Hand Is Ours’: Seth Dillon Lays Out How — And When — ‘Wokeness Will Die’

'The Upper Hand Is Ours': Seth Dillon Lays Out How — And When — 'Wokeness Will Die'

Babylon Bee

Satire

Woke Culture

Wokeness

Women

Women's sports

Swimming champion <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/riley-gaines-skewers-lia-thomas-over-trans-swimmers-latest-heartbreaking-claim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines</a> — who was deprived of an NCAA award by trans-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas — slammed Adidas after it used male models to promote a women&#8217;s swimsuit.
The former college swimmer responded on Wednesday to a tweet about the brand&#8217;s new &#8220;Pride Swimsuit&#8221; with a headline that read, &#8220;The new Adidas Women&#8217;s Swimwear Range modeled by…men.&#8221; It included images of men wearing women&#8217;s one-piece swimsuits.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t understand why companies are voluntarily doing this to themselves,&#8221; Gaines <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1658861624768225280?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>. &#8220;They could have at least said the suit is &#8216;unisex,&#8217; but they didn&#8217;t because it&#8217;s about erasing women. Ever wondered why we hardly see this go the other way? Women&#8217;s swimsuits aren&#8217;t accessorized with a bulge.&#8221;
Gaines’ post received hundreds of comments, with many agreeing that the move by the sports brand was just the latest example of women &#8220;being erased,&#8221; calling it &#8220;sickening.&#8221;
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) tweeted, &#8220;I&#8217;m old enough to remember when women actually modeled women&#8217;s bathing suits, not men.&#8221;
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I&#39;m old enough to remember when women actually modeled women&#39;s bathing suits, not men. 🙃 <a href="https://t.co/kOvXvmDzHt">https://t.co/kOvXvmDzHt</a>
&mdash; Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepNancyMace/status/1658877270138683415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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While another person wrote, &#8220;Don&#8217;t worry, when the cabal collapses and they lose all their money, ESG will cease to exist. Once that&#8217;s gone, these woke companies will revert back to normal and market to their actual base. Wokeness is only backed by money, it&#8217;s not organic.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Don&#39;t worry, when the cabal collapses and they lose all their money, ESG will cease to exist. Once that&#39;s gone, these woke companies will revert back to normal and market to their actual base. Wokeness is only backed by money, it&#39;s not organic. <a href="https://t.co/2r2awb27yP">https://t.co/2r2awb27yP</a>
&mdash; McKaylaRose (@McKaylaRoseRed) <a href="https://twitter.com/McKaylaRoseRed/status/1658856190120476672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A message on the Adidas <a href="https://www.adidas.com/us/pride-swimsuit/IA3339.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> said the Adidas x Rich Mnisi Pride collection of swimsuits was created by South African designer Rich Mnisi. It is described as &#8220;a celebration of self-expression, imagination and the unwavering belief that love unites, the collaboration explores fluidity, color and patterns.&#8221;
&#8220;This partnership is one part of our effort to honor the LGBTQIA+ community alongside our Global Purpose partner Athlete Ally,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;We&#8217;re all unique, but we&#8217;re all connected by love. That&#8217;s the message of this adidas swimsuit, designed in collaboration with Rich Mnisi.&#8221;
The athletic brand follows other big name companies like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bud-light-sales-plummet-for-fifth-straight-week-as-customers-react-against-mulvaney-partnership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anheuser-Busch</a>, Maybelline, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-releases-latest-pride-collection-complete-with-kids-books-and-rainbow-items-for-babies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Target</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fing-sports-bras-megyn-kelly-slams-nikes-partnership-with-non-breasted-dylan-mulvaney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nike</a> who have chosen to promote woke ideology regardless of their customer base and bottom line.
A previous version of this story said male models advertised a women&#8217;s swimwear line; it was a single swimsuit. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-s-has-to-stop-comedian-rob-schneider-says-stop-making-girls-compete-against-trans-identifying-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;This S*** Has To Stop&#8217;: Comedian Rob Schneider Says Stop Making Girls Compete Against Trans-Identifying Men</a>

‘Women’s Swimsuits Aren’t Accessorized With A Bulge’: Riley Gaines Slams Adidas Swimsuit Modeled By Male

'Women’s Swimsuits Aren't Accessorized With A Bulge': Riley Gaines Slams Adidas Swimsuit Modeled By Male

Transgender

Riley Gaines had big plans for her life: she was going to graduate from University of Kentucky, go on to dental school, become an endodontist, and ride off into the sunset with her husband and dog by her side.
All that changed when, at the last meet of an illustrious collegiate swimming career, she came face to face with a challenge that she knew was going to impact young female athletes for years to come unless someone — someone like her — stood up and said &#8220;no more.&#8221;
Gaines never planned a life of activism. She told The Daily Wire that her plan was to go to dental school and study endodontics — laughing as she admitted she would be the one responsible for performing universally dreaded procedures like root canals.
“But I quickly learned that the fastest way to make God laugh was to make plans for myself,” she said.
<div id="attachment_547493" style="width: 478px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-547493" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-547493 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.16-AM-468x576.jpg" alt="Photo courtesy of Riley Gaines" width="468" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.16-AM-468x576.jpg 468w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.16-AM-244x300.jpg 244w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.16-AM.jpg 757w" sizes="(max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" />Photo courtesy of Riley Gaines</div>
Gaines came from a family of athletes — a father who played football professionally, a brother who played college football, and a sister who is a gymnast — so it was no surprise that she made a name for herself as an athlete as well. The pool was where she shined, and after years of training, she was ready to compete in the NCAA finals — wearing blue for University of Kentucky.
<div id="attachment_547495" style="width: 893px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-547495" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-547495 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.32-AM-883x576.jpg" alt="Photo courtesy of Riley Gaines" width="883" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.32-AM-883x576.jpg 883w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.32-AM-300x196.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.32-AM-768x501.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.32-AM-1536x1001.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.32-AM.jpg 1589w" sizes="(max-width: 883px) 100vw, 883px" />Photo courtesy of Riley Gaines</div>
It was the final meet of her collegiate career, and even though she had been warned ahead of time that she would be competing against a biological male — trans-identifying University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas — she and the other women competing had apparently not been warned that Thomas would be granted full access to the women’s facilities during the competition.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/riley-gaines-save-women-s-sports8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: RILEY GAINES&#8217; INTERVIEW ON CRAIN &amp; COMPANY</a>
Thomas, who was still biologically male in every way, was allowed access to the locker room while female competitors stripped down and struggled into their skintight racing suits. The women, Gaines said, felt uncomfortable and intimidated — but many were afraid to speak up for fear of backlash.
In the pool, Thomas tied Gaines for fifth place in the 200 freestyle — but when the time came for photos of the winners, the NCAA leadership insisted on having Thomas hold up the trophy for publicity purposes.
Gaines recalled the words of the NCAA representative, who told her, “Hey, I just want to let you know, we only have one fifth place trophy, so yours will be coming in the mail. We went ahead and gave the fifth place trophy to Lia, but you can pose on the podium with the sixth place trophy.”
Gaines was incensed, calling the overall experience “disheartening” not because she didn’t get the trophy, but because she saw what the NCAA had been willing to do for the right kind of photo opportunity.
<div id="attachment_547491" style="width: 671px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-547491" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-547491 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.48-AM-661x576.jpg" alt="Photo courtesy of Riley Gaines" width="661" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.48-AM-661x576.jpg 661w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.48-AM-300x262.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.48-AM-768x669.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-9.36.48-AM.jpg 881w" sizes="(max-width: 661px) 100vw, 661px" />Photo courtesy of Riley Gaines</div>
That, she told The Daily Wire, is what told her that she might need to change her plans.
“I’m done competing, this is not about me. I can’t imagine my sister having to share her locker room with a man. I hope to one day have a daughter, and I can’t imagine her not having the same opportunities that I had up until my very last swim meets,” Gaines said.
Noting that she’s often then accused of not wanting trans-identifying students to have opportunities in sports, she said nothing could be further from the truth. She just believes that sports, on a fundamental level, have to be fair to have value — and that allowing biological males to compete with women is allowing certain people an unfair advantage.
“Involvement in sports is important, especially for girls, but for everyone. It fosters growth, leadership skills, and resiliency, and it teaches kids how to take constructive criticism and use it to make themselves better,” Gaines explained, adding, “I don’t think anyone should be denied access to this, that’s a silly accusation, I’m often accused of this. But it has to be fair.”
Gaines quickly realized that dental school would always be there, but the need for a loud voice defending women in sports was both immediate and urgent. Reflecting on the current state of affairs — the fact that biological males have been allowed into women&#8217;s spaces, often based on little more than self-identifying as transgender — Gaines said people have to realize it is not just about sports.
&#8220;This is bigger than just sports — the changing of the language, words that apply to women, the silencing of women’s voices. It may have to get worse before it gets better,&#8221; she said — but she added that she believes most people don&#8217;t align with the most radical activists. &#8220;I think the overwhelming majority are baffled by this that we can’t define woman.&#8221;
&#8220;When you see the bigger picture — looking at how universities, corporations, even political officials, are denying objective truth — we’re living in a George Orwell dystopian novel where they’re telling us to say that 2+2=5 and we all know it’s not 5,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;It feels as if it’s a cult — it must consume your every waking thought and action. But it&#8217;s important for people to understand that your gender identity is not all you are.&#8221;
For now, Gaines says, she&#8217;s going to fight. &#8220;Now I boycott,&#8221; she said with a laugh. &#8220;My husband gets so sick of it, there are companies that I won’t go into. I have always been strong-willed but now I stand stronger than I did before.&#8221;
She attributed her ability to stand strong to the support system around her and the lessons she learned from her own involvement in elite competition. &#8220;My wheels are always turning,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I find myself constantly questioning everything.&#8221;
Gaines concluded with her own advice to young girls who were thinking about competing or who were already involved, saying, &#8220;Do not get discouraged, do not cave. It breaks my heart to have parents tell me that their middle school and high school-aged daughters don’t want to compete anymore because they either have direct experience [competing against biological males] or because they’re afraid it might happen.&#8221;
&#8220;To parents, I’d say protect your daughters,&#8221; she added. &#8220;And teach your sons masculinity. Teach them masculinity because then they will want to protect your daughters as well.&#8221;

‘I Was Ready To Go To Dental School’: Riley Gaines Became An Activist By Accident — But She’s Not Backing Down

'I Was Ready To Go To Dental School': Riley Gaines Became An Activist By Accident — But She's Not Backing Down

Activists

Readers Pass

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/absolute-humiliation-megyn-kelly-slams-chrissy-teigen-appearing-at-whcd-in-non-existent-dress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Megyn Kelly</a> said that women were &#8220;sold a bill of goods&#8221; when it comes to the transgender movement, arguing that men have invaded women&#8217;s protected spaces and things have gone &#8220;too far.&#8221;
During the Sirius XM &#8220;The Megyn Kelly Show&#8221; podcast, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/megyn-kelly-goes-viral-with-7-word-response-to-dylan-mulvaney-complaining-about-being-labeled-a-man" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the host</a> and Daily Mail columnist Maureen Callahan talked about the latest &#8220;insane trans news&#8221; involving a biological male trans Darren Glines who has escaped criminal charges of indecent exposure after a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12054769/Trans-woman-cleared-flashing-penis-YMCA-shes-FAT-genitals-visible.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">judge ruled</a> the trans-identifying male was &#8220;too fat&#8221; to have flashed his penis at females in an Ohio YMCA locker room.
&#8220;I just think that too much of this, they&#8217;ve pushed us too far,&#8221; Kelly said. &#8220;Because they sold us a bill of goods. &#8216;This is about being kind. This is gonna be about compassion &#8230; oh the poor children who are confused. Don&#8217;t be such an a**hole, be supportive.'&#8221;
&#8220;And we were,&#8221; she added. &#8220;We were and it was like the camel&#8217;s nose, because once we saw, the entire camel is now under the tent. And it looks like that Darren Glines. The camel needs to get out.&#8221;
&#8220;You see Darren Glines coming at you in the ladies room, there&#8217;s not a person alive who wouldn&#8217;t say &#8216;get him out of here, he doesn&#8217;t belong, that&#8217;s a man, &#8216;&#8221; the former Fox News host continued.  Shen then noted other stories like the one involving <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/women-file-lawsuit-against-sorority-after-it-accepts-man-who-allegedly-watches-them-while-visibly-aroused" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sorority girls</a> of a Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter suing their organization after it forced them to allow a biological male trans as a member into their house who&#8217;s now been accused of &#8220;lewd and lascivious behaviors&#8221; against them.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/find-your-voices-ladies-megyn-kelly-gets-fired-up-issues-dire-warning-to-women-over-allowing-trans-identifying-men-into-their-spaces" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kelly</a> previously got fired up on her show, calling on ladies to &#8220;find your voices&#8221; and issuing a dire warning to women over continuing to allow trans-identifying men into women spaces.
&#8220;If we don&#8217;t find our voices and start speaking up against this nonsense, we can kiss every woman&#8217;s space goodbye!&#8221; Kelly shouted. &#8220;We can kiss women&#8217;s rights goodbye.&#8221;
&#8220;We can kiss sororities goodbye,&#8221; she added. &#8220;We can take off our tops and our underwear and do our yoga in front of perverted men who just want to get off watching us &#8217;til the cows come home. Stick your daughter in the sorority, let &#8217;em at her.&#8221;
&#8220;Find your voices, ladies — and the men who support us,&#8221; Kelly continued. &#8220;Otherwise, this is our future. I&#8217;m sorry. I&#8217;m done. I&#8217;m done. I don&#8217;t want to deal with this s*** at Tri Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, in the women&#8217;s locker room. You can be supportive of trans people and what they&#8217;re going through without surrendering to this madness!&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/find-your-voices-ladies-megyn-kelly-gets-fired-up-issues-dire-warning-to-women-over-allowing-trans-identifying-men-into-their-spaces">&#8216;Find Your Voices, Ladies&#8217;: Megyn Kelly Gets Fired Up, Issues Dire Warning To Women Over Allowing Trans-Identifying Men Into Their Spaces</a>

Megyn Kelly

‘They Sold Us A Bill Of Goods’: Megyn Kelly Says Transgender Movement Has Gone ‘Too Far’

‘They Sold Us A Bill Of Goods’: Megyn Kelly Says Transgender Movement Has Gone ‘Too Far'

Former NCAA star swimmer Riley Gaines slammed Brittney Griner over the weekend after the WNBA star claimed that it was a &#8220;crime&#8221; to stop transgender athletes from competing against biological females in women&#8217;s sports.
Griner, who was freed from a Russian prison late last year in a prisoner swap for a notorious Russian terrorist, decried during a press conference last week legislation being pushed across the U.S. that aims to protect biological females from having to compete against biological males.
&#8220;Which NBA team would have @brittneygriner since apparently the overwhelming, obvious differences between men and women should simply be overlooked?&#8221; Gaines tweeted. &#8220;Heartbreaking to see athletically successful women take this demeaning stance.&#8221;
&#8220;And if we&#8217;re going to talk about crimes, Brittney&#8230;&#8221; Gaines added.
Griner was arrested in Russia last year on drug charges.
“You’ve always represented so much throughout your entire career about access and, you know, being able to do stuff, and I hate to put one more thing on your plate, but there have been a number of states who are aggressively moving to prevent transgender athletes from playing,” Bill Rhoden from ESPN <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brittney-griner-its-a-crime-to-stop-biological-males-from-competing-against-women">said</a> to Griner on Thursday.
“And I was wondering, again, I’d hate to put one more thing on your plate, but in terms of on your radar, where is that?” he asked. “You’re gonna have a tremendous platform, but where is that going to be on your radar in terms of advocating for athletes, all transgender athletes being able to play?”
Griner responded, “I mean, that ranks high on the list of things that I’ll be fighting for and speaking up against, you know, everyone has, 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 a threat or they can’t be who they are or, um, like it’s just all eyes on them.”
“So, I think it’s a crime, honestly, to, to separate someone for any reason,” Griner claimed. “So, I definitely will be speaking up against those, that legislation, and those laws that are trying to be passed for sure.”
WATCH:
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Brittney Griner claims it’s a “crime” to stop biological males from being able to compete against women in sports. <a href="https://t.co/CTM9mV9nDz">pic.twitter.com/CTM9mV9nDz</a>
&mdash; Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonrantz/status/1651755021363712004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

US-POLITICS-CORRESPONDENTS

Riley Gaines Torches Brittney Griner For Calling It A ‘Crime’ To Protect Women’s Sports From Men

Brittney Griner

Former NCAA champion swimmer Riley Gaines slammed Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) over the weekend for the double standard in criticisms of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a piece of legislation that the Republican-controlled House passed with no support from Democrats.
The legislation was approved Thursday morning in a 219-203 vote in which all &#8220;yes&#8221; votes were cast by Republicans and all &#8220;no&#8221; votes were cast by Democrats, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/riley-gaines-points-out-double-standards-criticisms-protection-of-women-and-girls-in-sports-act">Fox News</a>.
&#8220;H.R. 734 does NOT put children first. Sports should be safe, accessible &amp; fair for everyone,&#8221; Ivey tweeted. &#8220;H.R. 734 would mean the forced inspection of student-athletes, which is an egregious violation of a student’s personal dignity. This would impact ALL student-athletes across this nation.&#8221;
Gaines, a former All-American at the University of Kentucky, has become one of the leading female voices in the battle to protect women&#8217;s sports from biological males.
Gaines responded, &#8220;Checking birth certificate and/or ensuring everyone has a routine physical before competing = egregious violation of personal dignity.&#8221;
&#8220;Forcing girls to undress in front of an intact and exposed male = NOT an egregious violation of personal dignity, but rather kind and inclusive,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;This should be bipartisan, yet [no] Democrats in the House voted in favor of HR 734. I&#8217;ll stand with anyone, regardless of party affiliation, who vows to protect girls and women in sports.&#8221;
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This should be bipartisan, yet not democrats in the House voted in favor of HR 734. I&#39;ll stand with anyone, regardless of party affiliation, who vows to protect girls and women in sports.
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1650266073856393217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Gaines was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swim-champ-riley-gaines-attacked-by-radical-trans-mob-forced-to-barricade">attacked</a> earlier this month by radical transgender activists who swarmed her when she visited San Francisco State University to advocate for the rights of female athletes.
Gaines, who was deprived of an NCAA award by Lia Thomas, the University of Pennsylvania swimmer who claims to be female and competes against women, was at the school as part of a Turning Point USA event. Video on social media shows Gaines being hustled to safety by police officers as a mob of radical transgender activists follows her, shouting, “Trans rights are human rights!”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-19219">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
“The prisoners are running the asylum at SFSU,” Gaines tweeted. “This is proof that women need sex-protected spaces. Still only further assures me I’m doing something right. When they want you silent, speak louder.”
Gaines had started her speech when protesters burst into the room where she was speaking. As she was being escorted to safety, she was physically assaulted, she said.
“I’m OK currently, but an hour and a half later, I’m still barricaded in a room with ambushers on the outside yelling and threatening violence,” Gaines said. “As police escorted me out of the event space to my current location, I was hit, physically, twice by what I presume was a male individual. This only assures me I’m doing the right thing.”
It was unclear how long Gaines was barricaded in the room, but the event began at 7 p.m. local time, and at midnight, police were still dispersing the protesters.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk blasted the protesters behind the incident.
“This is unacceptable at an American college campus, even in San Francisco,” Kirk tweeted. “Pray for Riley Gaines and for our brave students at SFSU.”
Gaines’s agent, Eli Bremer, said Gaines would not back down from the mob.
“Instead of a thoughtful discussion tonight at SFSU, Riley was violently accosted, shouted at, physically assaulted, and barricaded in a room by protestors. It is stunning that in America in 2023, it is acceptable for biological male students to violently assault a woman for standing up for women’s rights,” Bremer said in a statement. “This will not stop Riley from boldly educating people of the dangers of biological males in women’s sports. She will continue to speak the truth against the radical left that no longer understands the difference between men and women.”

Lia Thomas, Riley Gaines

Riley Gaines Blasts The Political Left’s Double Standard On Protecting Women’s Sports

Riley Gaines Blasts The Political Left's Double Standard On Protecting Women's Sports

An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NFL</a> general manager is making headlines after he showed up to a pre-draft press conference on Thursday and appeared to weigh in on the debate raging about trans-identifying male athletes competing against females in women&#8217;s sports.
The head of the Detroit Lions, Brad Holmes, stepped out wearing a black long-sleeve sweatshirt with a message across the front in white lettering that read, &#8220;I support women and girls in sports.&#8221;
Surprisingly, no member of the press in the room asked the GM about his sweatshirt or what message he was sending with it, <a href="https://www.outkick.com/detroit-lions-gm-brad-holmes-stands-up-womens-sports-sweatshirt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OutKick</a> reported.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes wore a &#39;Support Women and Girls in Sports&#39; sweatshirt during a press conference on Thursday.
Holmes is fighting the good fight and standing up for women&#39;s sports.👏<a href="https://t.co/G3tmwSEYa9">https://t.co/G3tmwSEYa9</a>
&mdash; OutKick (@Outkick) <a href="https://twitter.com/Outkick/status/1649377439657922561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Sports commentators at the outlet and in Michigan tweeted out images of the Lions GM&#8217;s shirt and praised Holmes for speaking out for women in sports amid constant stories about trans-identifying male athletes crushing females in various women&#8217;s sports.
&#8220;Boom! Love it,&#8221; OutKick&#8217;s Clay Travis tweeted.
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Boom! Love it. <a href="https://t.co/mTCFupzs35">https://t.co/mTCFupzs35</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1649232472545140736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Leadership starts at the top,&#8221; Michigan Sports Network Huge Show tweeted. &#8220;Lions GM Brad Holmes wears a shirt to his press conference in support of Women and Girls in sports. He&#8217;s a dad with a daughter.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Leadership starts at the top. 
Lions GM Brad Holmes wears a shirt to his press conference in support of Women and Girls in sports. 
He’s a dad with a daughter. <a href="https://t.co/LEF9CVgQH7">pic.twitter.com/LEF9CVgQH7</a>
&mdash; HUGE (@Hugeshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hugeshow/status/1649399938453782528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Michigan sportswriter Dave Birkett tweeted, &#8220;Lions GM Brad Holmes always rocking a hoodie with a message: Today: &#8216;Support Women and Girls in Sports.'&#8221;
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Lions GM Brad Holmes always rocking a hoodie with a message: Today: “Support Women and Girls in Sports” <a href="https://t.co/Bz978faCio">pic.twitter.com/Bz978faCio</a>
&mdash; Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) <a href="https://twitter.com/davebirkett/status/1649050848759283718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Former swimming champion <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/riley-gaines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines</a> also tweeted the photo in a post that has since gone viral.
&#8220;Brad Holmes, general manager for the Detroit Lions, sending a message at the pre-draft press conference,&#8221; Gaines wrote. “‘I support women and girls in sports.’ Amazing!!! Thank you.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Brad Holmes, general manager for the Detroit Lions, sending a message at the pre-draft press conference. 
&quot;I support women and girls in sports&quot; 
Amazing!!! Thank you👏🏼 <a href="https://t.co/bq5lJIFyrL">pic.twitter.com/bq5lJIFyrL</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1649214665136717824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Gaines has made headlines for speaking out against making females compete against males in sports. She is a former University of Kentucky star who was deprived of an NCAA award by trans-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas.
On Thursday, she <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1648892612709953537?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> out a clip of North Carolina high school female volleyball star Payton McNabb speaking to legislators in the state after she was severely injured by a trans-identifying male player in a game, suffering a concussion and more.
&#8220;Watch the clip of Payton McNabb getting spiked in the face by a male competing with the women,&#8221; Gaines tweeted. &#8220;Then watch her testimony she gave today for the first time publicly.&#8221;
&#8220;I was honored to stand alongside her in NC to continue the fight to protect women’s sports,&#8221; she added.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-s-has-to-stop-comedian-rob-schneider-says-stop-making-girls-compete-against-trans-identifying-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;This S*** Has To Stop&#8217;: Comedian Rob Schneider Says Stop Making Girls Compete Against Trans-Identifying Men</a>

Brad Holmes-1

NFL GM Shows Up To Press Conference Wearing Shirt About ‘Women And Girls’ In Sports

NFL GM Shows Up To Press Conference Wearing Shirt About 'Women And Girls' In Sports

Detroit Lions

The U.S. House rightly passed a bill to preserve fairness in women’s sports, passing the baton to the U.S. Senate to follow suit. The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act</a> affirms that Title IX protects against policies that allow males to compete in — and often dominate — female sports, ensuring that women and girls have a fighting chance to train, compete, and win on the field, on the court, and in the swimming pool.
As athletes that once reached the peak of our respective sports, we understand firsthand the incredible work and extensive training that go into making yourself the best competitor you can be. While we played different sports in different arenas, we both experienced the importance of fair competition and benefitted from equal athletic opportunities.
The chance to shine at the highest levels of college sports paved the way for an NFL career and subsequent dedication to serving communities and mentoring the next generation of leaders. And for teenage female athletes, athletics builds confidence and discipline and can open the door for scholarships, career options, and leadership opportunities that might not otherwise be available.
But those opportunities can be snatched away from young athletes when competition is unfair.
That’s why we’re profoundly and deeply concerned by the recent rise in policies that sideline women and rob them of medals, championships, qualifying spots, college scholarships, and the opportunity to compete fairly. Education officials and sports governing bodies are allowing men to compete in female sports by relying on subjective identity instead of biological truth.
We can no longer foster an environment of inequality by prioritizing feelings over fairness.
This is the denial of truth that many of our female athletes know all too well. When the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference <a href="https://adflegal.org/case/soule-v-connecticut-association-schools" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adopted one of these policies</a>, Alanna was forced to compete against two males who identified as female. She saw her hard work vanish when she stepped up to the starting line. No matter how hard she trained, she knew she was competing for second or third place — never the top spot.
As anyone who has competed in a sport knows, it’s demoralizing to walk out of the locker room knowing that you can’t win because the competition isn’t fair. But that’s just what allowing males to play in girls’ sports does.
Biology matters in athletics. Science tells us that males are generally bigger, faster, and stronger than females. They have larger hearts and lungs, denser bones, and stronger muscles. Similarly gifted and trained males will always have physical advantages over females — that’s the reason we have women’s sports.
Consider this: In one year, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/pass-the-equality-act-but-dont-abandon-title-ix/2019/04/29/2dae7e58-65ed-11e9-a1b6-b29b90efa879_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">275 high school boys</a> ran faster times than the lifetime best of World Champion sprinter Allyson Felix. Despite dedicating her life and career to being the fastest woman in the world, Felix’s training couldn’t overcome high school boys’ physical advantages.
This science is backed up by basic common sense. It’s why despite living in an age of increasing political polarization, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/350174/mixed-views-among-americans-transgender-issues.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">62% of Americans</a> believe that athletes should compete on sports teams according to their biological sex — including 41% of Democrats surveyed.
It’s also why there has been an unprecedented nationwide movement to preserve a fair playing field for female athletes. There is a broad and diverse nonpartisan coalition standing up for a level playing field for women and girls. In the last three years alone, 21 states have enacted protections for female athletes, with many more considering these protections this year.
Yet, the Biden administration has continued to attack the very law that has ensured for over 50 years that women and girls can enjoy equal opportunities in athletics. In <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/fact-sheet-us-department-educations-proposed-change-its-title-ix-regulations-students-eligibility-athletic-teams#:~:text=Title%20IX's%20nondiscrimination%20requirement%20serves,mental%20health%20benefits%20to%20students." target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeking to rewrite Title IX</a> to allow men to compete on girls’ teams, the Biden administration is ignoring biological reality, upending democratically-passed protections in the states, and harming women and girls — all in the name of a political agenda.
Congress enacted Title IX in 1972, empowering women and girls at schools across the country so they could enjoy the success and benefits that come with competing in sports. It’s time for Congress to step up and ensure women and girls can continue to access those opportunities for another 50 years. We urge the Senate to follow the House’s lead in ensuring girls have a future playing sports. 
 
Burgess Owens was one of the first four black athletes recruited to play football at the University of Miami and played safety in the NFL for 10 years with the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders, winning a championship with the Raiders in Super Bowl XV in 1980. He’s the father of five girls and grandfather to 12 girls, and proudly serves Utah’s Fourth District in Congress as the Chairman of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee. 
Alanna Smith is a track athlete at the University of Tennessee. During her high school career, she was forced to compete against male athletes and as a result, lost out on placements. She is part of the <a href="https://adflegal.org/case/soule-v-connecticut-association-schools" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alliance Defending Freedom lawsuit</a>, Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools, which seeks to protect the integrity of women&#8217;s sports and Title IX.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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