By Patricia Johnson
Elm Staff Writer
Since 2022, the right-wing media has adopted Riley Gaines as a prominent political figurehead, highlighting her influence and perspectives on various issues.
Gaines is a 24-year-old former collegiate swimmer and political pundit who previously competed for the University of Kentucky swim team and has become a well-known anti-transgender activist.
In 2022, Gaines was competing in the 200-yard freestyle championship when she tied for fifth place with swimmer Lia Thomas, the first openly transgender woman in the NCCA women’s swimming division. Soon after, Gaines retired from competition to focus on a political career.
After tying with Thomas, Gaines quickly channeled her energy into making headlines. From complaining about having to share a locker room with Thomas to self-declaring a “Real Women’s Day,” Gaines has become well-known for touting the “issue” of transgender people in sports.
“We spent our entire lives training to be the best in women’s sports, just to have to compete against a man — and be told to celebrate it,” Gaines said on her website.
She repeatedly refers to Thomas using incorrect pronouns and details how Thomas swooped in and “stole” trophies from other cisgender swimmers.
Gaines’ problematic rhetoric extends well past swimming. She often talks about how she is “pro-woman,” despite demonizing an entire group of women just for existing differently than herself.
Gaines has reused the same talking points for years, weaponizing her fifth place swimming story against transgender people in the process.
Today, she is still invited to speak at many different events, promoting the right-wing witch hunt of non-cisgender people. On Nov. 21, Gaines wrapped up a 17-city fall speaking tour called “Taking Back Title IX,” which visited college campuses to engage audience about issues facing women’s rights.
However, the so-called “issue” of transgender women in sports is merely a facade for bigotry.
According to Athlete Ally’s Director of Research, only about 40 NCAA athletes out of more than half a million are transgender.
Gaines’ ideology aligns with the community of Fox News and right-wing media figures. Fox News is primarily recognized for its conservative stance, which includes support of restrictions on transgender participation in sports.
Gaines often disparages Thomas, misgendering her in front of massive crowds. “[I was] forced to undress, inches away from a 6-foot-4 man who watched us strip down to nothing,” Gaines said during a 2024 Trump rally in Arizona.
According to The Harvard Crimson, an event held by Harvard’s Network of Enlightened Women invited her to advocate against the participation of transgender women in women’s sports.
“Men are men, women are women. There are only two sexes. You can’t change your sex, and each sex is deserving of equal opportunities,” Gaines said during her speech.
If each sex is deserving of equal opportunities, then Gaines contradicts herself by putting down other women. During the Harvard event, she continued to misgender different transgender athletes.
Gaines did not lose to Thomas; she tied with her, and lost to four other cisgender women. Yet, she has made a career out of disparaging transgender people because she tied with one.
Her fight against Thomas has been carefully manufactured by right-wing media to spread misinformation about transgender people.
The problem with Gaines’ platform goes beyond sports; her political career has directly affected so many vulnerable people whose are already constantly erased and used as targets for violence.
People like Gaines eliminate the historical progress transgender and LGBTQ+ activists have spent decades fighting for. Supporting Gaines is actively supporting the dehumanization of thousands of Americans.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo Caption: Riley Gaines was featured as a speaker for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.