Riley Gaines Gives Biden Official A Piece Of Her Mind
A former NCAA standout swimmer and current independent adviser for Women's Voice is speaking out about White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's response to a reporter's question about transgender participation in women's sports.
Riley Gaines, a former NCAA standout swimmer at Kentucky, took issue with the answer White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gave about transgender participation in women's sports.
Gaines believes Jean-Pierre was wrong to push back on the so-called "broad" example given about the safety of female student-athletes when competing against transgender girls.
"When they say ‘inclusion’, just know they really mean exclusion,’" she tweeted late Tuesday.
When they say "inclusion", just know they really mean "exclusion".
The message this sends to ALL women is that our safety doesn't matter. Nor does our privacy, our fairness, our equal opportunities, or our dignity. The misogyny is slapping us across the face. #SaveWomensSports https://t.co/DYqZDiQF7p
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 14, 2023
"The message this sends to ALL women is that our safety doesn't matter. Nor does our privacy, our fairness, our equal opportunities, or our dignity. The misogyny is slapping us across the face."
This comes as President Biden has promised to veto the House Republican Women's Bill of Rights legislation, which defines the word "woman" in federal law and the House's Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, according to Gaines.
Gaines has been a vocal advocate for the Women’s Bill of Rights legislation. last month during a press conference, she explained the bill would help defend female athletes from competing against transgender girls and would protect the fairness and equality of all female athletes.
“I’m here to continue to fight for the rights of women and girls in sports and the protection of their well-being,” she said during the press conference.
Critics of the bill argue that it seeks to invalidate the experiences of transgender people and severely limit their access to public life. But for Gaines, the bill holds significant importance in allowing women to compete on a level playing field in sports.
“It’s not easy to advocate against something we’ve been told is a human rights issue,” she said. “But I know in my heart of hearts, it’s about leveling the playing field and making sure women and girls have the same opportunities to compete and be successful in sports.”
The stance has resulted in Gaines receiving backlash from those who feel the bill is discriminatory. But Gaines remains undeterred, standing firm in her belief that the bill promotes fairness in women's sports.
Gains believes the safety, privacy, and equality of female athletes must be protected with the same zeal that is given to transgender athletes who wish to participate in the same sports. She will issueing guidelines on how to incorporate transgender athletes into sports safely, without compromising the integrity of women’s sports.
Though President Biden has said he would veto the bill, it is unclear if the bill's opponents will ultimately be successful in defeating it. In the meantime, Gaines and her supporters will continue to push for the bill's passage, as they remain firm in their positions that the safety, equality, and dignity of female athletes must be protected.