Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines testifies at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on protecting civil rights for LGBTQ Americans about her own personal experience competing with trans swimmer Lia Thomas and having to share the same dressing room. That's when protesters inside the room opened the door, and more protesters began to "flood in," she said. In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, a tearful Riley Gaines spoke passionately about competing against Lia Thomas, a biologically male swimmer who identified as. We werenot forewarned beforehand that we would besharing a locker room with Lia. She was too scared to speak out about her experience until now. Media Matters searched our internal database of all original, weekday programming on Fox News Channel (shows airing from 6 a.m. through midnight) for segments that analysts determined to include Gaines as a guest from April 6, 2022, when American swimmer Riley Gaines first appeared on the network, through May 31, 2023. One of her former competitors accused Lia, a trans athlete, of having an "utter disregard" for women. U.S. Attorney David Weiss rejected GOP allegations of retaliation against an IRS whistleblower in a letter sent to Representative Jim Jordan. It's embarrassing. "We saw this was a mediocre male swimmer at best, ranking the year prior 462nd nationally among the men," Gaines said. Thats another crazy thing. This is happening with the education system, prisons, locker rooms, and changing spaces for women, Gaines said, claiming Bidens inability to acknowledge the feelings of biological women in order to appease the transgender community is misogynistic. From the March 23, 2023 edition of Fox News' The Ingraham Angle. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "We were not forewarned we would be sharing a changing space," she testified. "No one told us. 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But Gaines said the NCAAs support of Thomas has eroded a fair playing field for cisgender athletes, and browbeaten many other women into grudgingly accepting the new politically correct paradigm. Riley Gaines Files $2 Million Suit Against Lia Thomas: "She Took The Post has reached out to Thomas and the NCAA for comment. "But when this official reduced everything I'd worked my entire life for down to a photo-op to validate the feelings of a male at the Women's National Championship, that's when I was done waiting for someone else to speak up.". (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports), RILEY GAINES MOCKS MESSAGE APPARENTLY SENT TO HARVARD SWIM TEAM ABOUT LIA THOMAS. The experience that flipped Riley Gaines life upside down. "Honestly, you have all thesepeople all the time tell me howcourageous it is to speak to this and how braveI am, but truthfully does it make someonebrave to just acknowledge womendeserve equal opportunities?" Kentucky Swimmer: NCAA Official Sent Lia Thomas Home With A - OutKick Gaines has appeared on Fox News 29 times for a total time of more than two hours and 38 minutes between April 2022 and the end of May 2023. , which totally devalued the award for me, Gaines said, adding that the fact Thomas was even nominated over all the other female UPenn swimmers is a slap in face.. It's criminal what they're doing. [Fox News at Night. But my life, it's been totally flipped upside down.". Unidad Editorial Informacin Deportiva, S.L.U. "It was this sense of helplessness," Gaines said. Gaines opened her testimony by recalling how she and transgender female Lia Thomas, who competed for the University of Pennsylvania, tied for fifth place in the 200-yard NCAA freestyle . Riley Gaines Describes Sharing Locker Room With Lia Thomas OPINION: I AM A 12X NCAA ALL-AMERICAN SWIMMER. Market data provided by Factset. She has been a vocal opponent of transgender women competing in womens sports after she tied with Thomas for fifth place in a national swimming competition last spring, citing her opponents unfair biological advantage in height, muscle mass and heart and lung size. Gaines' newfound role as an advocate for women's sports is not one that she sought out, and it's not something she wants to be doing, she testified. From the May 18, 2023, edition of Fox News'The Story with Martha MacCallum. We are no longer using terms like motherhood or breastfeeding because those are now deemed offensive. Market data provided by Factset. Kentucky's Riley Gaines makes splash by blasting 'unfair' rules after Gaines is the spokeswoman for the Independent Womens Forum, a conservative nonprofit focused on advancing womens rights. In March, Gaines tied with Thomas for fifth place in the 200-meter freestyle NCAA championships and has loudly criticized Thomas since then. Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines described the "traumatic" experience she and other female athletes endured while sharing a locker room with transgender athlete Lia Thomas at the NCAA championships and the violent backlash she has faced since speaking out Tuesday before Congress. 07/03/23 11:42 AM EDT, Video & Audio Riley Gaines SPEAKS OUT about Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas Story tips can be sent to yael.halon@fox.com. That's when I realized it's my duty as a female athlete who experienced this injustice to really use my voice and my platform to advocate for those female athletes who are emotionally blackmailed and gaslit into silence.. The @NCAA has made this award worthless. Gaines appearances on Fox News in the subsequent year have consistently embellished this argument with trans-exclusionary talking points that extend beyond the realm of athletics. In that moment, I felt like we, as women, were being mocked. (Mike Comer/NCAA Photos via Getty Images). But the most traumatic part was Thomas joining the female swimmers in the women's locker room. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Riley Gaines, the Kentucky swimmer who tied transgender swimmer Lia Thomas for fifth in the women's 200-meter NCAA championships last month, still does not have her trophy. Gaines has appeared on Fox News with increasing frequency since April 2022, expanding her exclusionary anti-trans statements beyond the scope of womens athletics, Research contributions from Vesper Henry & Rob Savillo. We did not give our consent,they did not ask for ourconsent, but in that locker roomwe turned around, and theres a64" biological man dropping hispants and watching us undress,and we were exposed to malegenitalia," Gaines said. Riley Gaines Calls ESPN 'Spineless' Following Network's Lia Thomas She spoke to Fox News and said: "This experience, and really taking a public stance in common sense quite frankly, has drastically changed my life. Riley Gaines says some 'violated' swimmers 'undressed in the janitor's Are you. read more, Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines testifies at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on protecting civil rights for LGBTQ Americans about her own personal experience competing with trans swimmer Lia Thomas and having to share the same dressing room. Gaines tied transgender swimmer Lia Thomas for fifth place in the women's 200-meter freestyle final at the 2022 NCAA swimming and diving championships and has been vocal about her opposition to . I was frustrated with how this was handled and how they addressed me.. We identified and timed all segments where Gaines appeared as a guest and reviewed them for whether they mentioned that trans athletes should not be included in womens sports due to their possessing an unfair advantage; mentioned that trans athletes pose a danger to women by using the same locker room facilities; mentioned that trans athletes pose a danger to women by competing in the same divisions; mentioned Lia Thomas by name; said that trans people do not exist, are mentally ill, or that being trans is not a valid, protected characteristic; or promoted measures that would exclude trans people from areas of life other than athletics. I was shocked, really.. I was extremely happy for the girls above me who conquered what was seemingly impossible by beating Lia, and it was kind of an array of emotions. People areterrified, especially speakingfrom my experience of talking toother NCAA swimmersspecifically. Swimmer who tied Lia Thomas 'taken aback' in trophy handling Riley Gaines never considered herself a feminist. Then she raced Lia Thomas This person came out of nowhere their senior year. "This is when I really set a goal to become a national champion.". or redistributed. While a fifth place running between two college students would rarely get a . There's no controversy," said former SCOTUS lawyer Neal Katyal regarding a Christian designer refusing to work for a gay couple. But her life was "flipped upside down" after she tied transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in last year's NCAA finals. Not even probably a year, twoyears ago, this would have beenconsidered some form of sexualassault, voyeurism. Despite the fact that only a small fraction of the population is transgender and transgender athletes have fairly competed at elite levels in their lived gender for decades, claims that trans inclusion in athletics will disadvantage cis women and girls have recently provided fuel for discriminatory legislative measures in dozens of states and at the federal level. 5 by Lias name so in that moment I realized we tied. "People areterrified, especially speakingfrom my experience of talking toother NCAA swimmersspecifically. "@Riley_Gaines_ details how university administrators applauded the violent protestors who tried to hold her hostage for a ransom. As Gateway Pundit readers know, Thomas, a man pretending he's a woman, was given a spot on the University of Pennsylvania women's swimming team. Lia Thomas (left) was awarded the fifth place trophy, and Riley Gaines the sixth Credit: Rich von Biberstein/Getty Images Eight months after she raced against Lia Thomas, the. "That to me was worse than thecompetition piece," Gaines said. Athlete bans are only a portion of the nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ laws proposed this session, many of which target trans health care and the existence of trans people. "They were under the false notion that the university paid me to be there, therefore, they only thought it was fair that I should pay them if I wanted to leave.". Gaines and her fellow female competitors were powerless to stop the situation, she testified. "Our safety, our privacy, it doesn't matter," she said. "They are encouraging [biological] men tocompete in womens sports.". The@NCAAhas made this award worthless.. "It almost felt as if we were going into the race with our hands tied behind our back.". Gaines said she delayed her plans to attend dental school after college so she could dedicate her time to fight to protect womens spaces. Riley Gaines, now a spokeswoman for the Independent Womens Forum, tied Lia Thomas for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships last year. Gender ideology has a stranglehold on society and women are paying the price for it.". "This experience, and really taking a public stance in common sense quite frankly, has drastically changed my life," Gaines told Fox News. "Under the guise of competitive fairness? Gaines said she feels the glamorization of transgenderism and pushing gender ideology in schools and media happened so quickly over subliminal messaging. Lia Thomas and Kentucky's Riley Gaines tied in the 200 freestyle national championship race. Citation Taylor. "Thats how far we have come as asociety and within our culture.". Gaines's visit had been shared with students by the school's administration, and she was told she would meet with campus police to discuss security, she said. Swimmer Riley Gaines trusts Gov Noem 'to fight for girls' after New rules for transgender swimmers after Lia Thomas controversy he name Riley Gaines will forever be linked to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who has been under fire lately for. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Gaines planned on pursuing a career in dentistry. It throws you off, said Gaines. I understand the guidelines for the competition, but what are the guidelines in regards to the locker room?'" Citation ", Christian Ziegler, the Republican Party of Florida's vice-chair, claimed the athlete who came second to Thomas had been "robbed on national TV.". Lia Thomas competitor Riley Gaines felt 'extreme discomfort' in locker room The match sparked ongoing debate over transgender females eligibility, with critics citing unfair physical advantages like height, muscle mass and heart and lung size. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Advocates for inclusivity argue it's discriminatory to exclude trans athletes, while those fighting to keep women's sports reserved for biological females say it's dangerous and unfair to allow them to compete. "What I saw was not peaceful by any means. https://t.co/MRCieqbltd, Were dealing with something thats completely out of our control when were racing, biological males, she said in the April interview. Lia Thomas Rival Says Trans Athletes Show 'Utter Disregard - Newsweek But what Ive realized is if we want a change, you have to use your voice. Lia Thomas The name Riley Gaines will forever be linked to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who has been under fire lately for competing against biological female swimmers in NCAA official tournaments. "I actually immediately left the locker room, and I went up to one of the officials on the pool deck, and I said, 'How is this allowed to happen? "We fight back!" We did not give our consent,they did not ask for ourconsent, but in that locker roomwe turned around and theres a6-foot-4 biological man dropping hispants and watching us undress,and we were exposed to malegenitalia, Gaines told Fox News America Reports Wednesday about Thomas, who is listed at 6 feet 1. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. Riley Gaines' life was "flipped upside down" after she tied Lia Thomas in last year's NCAA finals. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas finishes 5th in NCAA women's 200-yard Speaking to Newsweek Debra Soh, author of The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths about Sex and Identity in Our Society, argued hormonal treatment for transgender athletes can't compensate for going through male puberty. Once I got out of the water, we kind of go behind the podium to the awards ceremony where they distribute the trophies. . "I was certainly held against my will," she said. "Not even probably a year, twoyears ago, this would have beenconsidered some form of sexualassault, voyeurism. Thomas, who reportedly fancies herself a modern-day Jackie Robinson, was a mens swimmer during the first three years of her collegiate career before joining the womens team in 2021 and shattering Ivy League records. Riley Gaines launches a fresh attack on Lia Thomas If we simply look at the data, it is evident Lia Thomas does have a clear advantage over the rest of competitors. "The mob screamed vengeful, racist, violent, awful things at both myself and the officers, and I received no assurance that I would get out of that situation.". First, from my experience, I saw it in sports, but now that I am in the position I am in I realize it is so much bigger than sports. Their administration responded back with, 'If you feel uncomfortable seeing male genitalia, here are some counseling resources that you should see.'". According to Media Matters internal database of all original, weekday programming on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC (shows airing from 6 a.m. through midnight), Gaines is Fox's third most popular guest brought in to discuss trans inclusion in womens sports. "I went to the classroom building where I was supposed to speak, which was on the third floor, and I entered the room, which soon began to fill with protesters. The experience that flipped Riley Gaines' life 'upside down': 'I still No one asked for our consent. Riley Gaines and Lia Thomas have been engaged in a brutal fight for nearly a year. "The vice president released an email to their student body applauding, word-for-word, 'I applaud the tremendously brave student who behaved the way they did. Over 50% of these appearances took place in the last two months a year after her race against Thomas on March 18, 2022. Both Lia Thomas and Riley Gaines have been contacted for comment. The thing Ive learned the most throughout all of this is to use your voice, Gaines answered. We also searched transcripts in the SnapStream and Kinetiq video databases for all original programming on Fox News Channel for the term Gaines within close proximity of any of the terms phone, guest, interview, in studio, with us, with me, bring in, to discuss, to talk, or calling in or any variation of any of the terms speak, react, or join from April 6, 2022, through May 31, 2023. LeSean McCoy, former Brady teammate speaks out, Madonna's hospitalization raises concerns as boyfriend shares emotional message, Pete Davidson enters rehab to address mental health struggles. By no means did they say we uphold the freedom of speech or condemn violence. On May 31, during an appearance on ESPN, Thomas said the victory left her feeling "very humbled and honored," adding: "I can only hope I'm able to give other trans people the inspiration and motivation I was given. Her media career from her race against Thomas to her recent public endorsement of Gov. Riley Gaines: "I Left There With No Trophy" After Tie With Lia Thomas We did not give our consent to undress in front of a male. Supreme Court LGBTQ 'Fake Case' Could be ReversedLawyer, Trump-Appointed Prosecutor Pushes Back on Republicans' Hunter Biden Claims, Josh Hawley's Wife Faces Calls to Be Sanctioned Over Supreme Court Case, Wagner Group Fires One of Its Five Leadersa Former Russian Army Colonel. Riley Gaines responded after the interview . But now noteven are they just allowing itto happen, its almost as ifthese large organizations areencouraging it to happen.. "The room filled with glares of cellphone flashlights, some in my face, and I realized I was at the mercy of the crowd, and I was assaulted.". (Brett . Riley Gaines, now a spokeswoman for the Independent Womens Forum, tied Lia Thomas for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships last year. By Paul Farrell For Dailymail.Com Published: 21:14 EDT, 30 December 2022 | Updated: 03:34 EDT, 31 December 2022 Star college swimmer Riley Gaines has renewed her attacks on transgender swimmer. 01/13/22 2:40 PM EST, Research/Study All rights reserved. They were leading the country by multiple seconds in multiple events.". She added, I feel like we're living in a godless society., Gaslit into silence: Swimmer Riley Gaines explains why she spoke out against Lia Thomas and trans athletes, Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines speaks at a rally on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, outside of the NCAA Convention in San Antonio. Over a year after her last race against Lia Thomas, Riley Gaines has Yael Halon is a reporter for Fox News Digital. she said. (Mike Comer/NCAA Photos via Getty Images), Women's sports advocate Riley Gaines attends State of the Union, attended President Biden's State of the Union. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 'I raced Lia Thomas - and I still feel the burning injustice' Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines testifies at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on protecting civil rights for LGBTQ Americans about her own personal experience competing with . You have to fight for every point. A woman who claimed to be campus police ushered her out of the room, with Gaines fearing for her life, she said. The anti-trans rhetoric that accompanies Gaines claims of unfair competition including arguments in favor of the exclusion of trans people from other areas of public life and the anti-trans media figures that she aligns herself with, reveal the extent to which fairness in sports is a surrogate for more extensive anti-trans beliefs. Thomas ended up finishing tied for fifth with Kentucky's Riley Gaines at 1:43.50 Despite the loss, Thomas becomes the first trans student-athlete to become a multi-time first-team All-American . Lia Thomas was nominated also for Woman of the Year Former Teammate of Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas Speaks Out and Shares Independent Women's Forum During the year Thomas was swimming, no one heard from the other female swimmers about how they felt about a man joining their competition, locker rooms, and award podiums. ", After being played this clip on Fox News, Gaines responded: "To me hearing thatall I hear is selfishness, I hear lack of self-awareness and I hear an utter disregard and disrespect towards women, women who have dedicated their entire lives to their sport, not just one year after the year before ranking in the 500s and 600s as a biological male. Riley Gaines, a professional swimmer, has taken Lia Thomas to court, alleging that Thomas subjected her to emotional anguish and engaged in unfair competition. , a biological man who spent the first three years as a college swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania men's swim team. Gaines was having a breakout season her sophomore year when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, just weeks before the Womens Swimming NCAA Championship. "We should smile and step aside and allow these men into our space, or else you're a bigot.". Before I said anything publicly a couple weeks ago, with myself being the first or second to protest this, I have realized there are so many girls who feel the exact same way as I do but are told they cant say anything, or theyre scared because todays culture is cancel culture and they dont want to risk their future in athletics or future career. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. That's what this was.". "I knew I could accomplish even more than I had my junior year," Gaines told Fox News. Gaines' interviews on Fox News, though only a part of her media presence this past year and only one voice in the right-wing media discourse on trans athletics, signals how stated concerns over fairness are typically a stand-in for extreme and wide-ranging anti-trans sentiment. Riley Gaines calls for a boycott of ESPN. The competition was canceled, and her hopes of winning a national title were put on pause. "Unbeknownst to me at the time, this was a male. close. "He looks at me, and, word for word, he says, 'Oh, we actually got around this by making the locker rooms unisex. Riley Gaines calls out 'disingenuous' US soccer stars Megan Rapinoe As she conducted her speech, she could hear "chanting outside in the hallway, which caused a great deal of concern," Gaines said. "The NCAA rules regarding trans women competing in women's sports have been around for 10-plus years. Riley Gaines slams Lia Thomas 'gaslighting' opponents of trans athletes "It really was. Its completely unfair and its a matter of equity, really, Gaines added. This is yet another slap in the face to women, Gaines, who was also nominated for the award,tweeted. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Javascript must be enabled in order to access C-SPAN videos. . In addition to her media engagements, Gaines has spoken in favor of these legislative measures. Transitioning to get an advantage is not something that ever factors into our decisions, she added. She thought she'd be in dental school but is a major voice trans athlete debate. The NCAA Governing body has decided to maintain the results of those swimming races Lia Thomas won and that's the main reason Gaines is campaigning against the famous trans athlete. Riley Gaines' testimony at Senate hearing: 3 key moments | Politics News Riley Gaines doesn't agree with the NCAA's decision. In March 2022, swimmer Lia Thomas tied with Riley Gaines for fifth place in the 200-meter freestyle NCAA championships. University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas enters for the 200 Freestyle final during the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18th, 2022 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta Georgia. At the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in March 2022, Riley Gaines tied with Lia Thomas for fifth place in the 200 freestyle. In 41% of her interviews, Gaines argued against the social or political inclusion of trans people in areas outside athletics. CNN University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas finished tied for fifth Friday in the women's 200-yard freestyle final at the NCAA swimming and diving championships at Atlanta. ", Philadelphia mass shooting: Suspect kills 5 people by shooting randomly, Marriage is the true civil rights issue of our time, Donald Trump wins big with swing state voters: Poll, Debunking DEI: Affirmative action and setting students up for failure, Reporters Notebook: Hunter Biden investigators getting investigated, Reporters Notebook: Biden increases fundraising push, RFK Jr. 'bullied' from speaking as Moms for Liberty posed a 'threat' to power: Tiffany Justice. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, MostlyAgnostic on Twitter: "RT @fairyofbloom: Female swimmer Riley

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