Simone Biles calls Riley Gaines ‘sick’ over criticism of transgender athletes
Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles goes head-to-head with probably the most vocal opponents of transgender women and girls competing in feminine sports activities, former faculty swimmer Riley Gaines.
Biles — essentially the most embellished Olympic gymnast is historical past — known as the previous faculty athlete “sick” and a “sore loser” in a publish on X Friday night time.
“You need to be uplifting the trans neighborhood and maybe discovering a solution to make sports activities inclusive OR creating a brand new avenue the place trans really feel secure in sports activities,” Biles, 28, wrote. “Perhaps a transgender class IN ALL sports activities!!”
“However as a substitute… You bully them,” Biles continued. “One issues for positive is nobody in sports activities is secure with you round!!!!!”
As a school swimmer, Gaines tied for fifth place in a contest with then-College of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who’s transgender, in 2022.
Since then, Gaines has largely constructed a profession as a pundit in conservative media advocating towards trans girls competing in feminine sports activities, arguing that it’s unfair to incorporate them in competitors and their inclusion is at occasions unsafe for different opponents.
Gaines, 25, has additionally constructed an infinite following on social media, with over 1.5 million followers on X, the place she commonly lambastes and mocks transgender athletes.
On Friday, Gaines posted a picture of a Minnesota ladies highschool baseball group, which supposedly features a trans participant. She appeared to taunt the participant, referring to her as a boy, which seems to have elicited Biles’ response.
Gaines virtually instantly responded to Biles’ criticism in a collection of posts on X.
“That is so disappointing. My take is the least controversial tackle the planet,” Gaines wrote. “Simone Biles being a male-apologist on the expense of younger ladies’ desires? Didn’t have that on my bingo card.”
The problems of trans women and girls competing in feminine sports activities has develop into a lightning rod challenge in the USA in recent times.
In February, President Donald Trump signed an government order aiming to ban transgender girls and ladies from competing in feminine sports activities.
Earlier than that, no less than 27 states already had legal guidelines, laws or insurance policies banning transgender college students from collaborating in sports activities in step with their gender identities, in line with the Motion Development Venture, an LGBTQ assume tank.