Women in sports advocate Riley Gaines has issued a challenge to “spineless” Democrats in Congress who are also fathers of daughters as they oppose a GOP-led bill that bars biological men from competing in all-female sporting events at the high school and collegiate levels.
On Thursday, Gaines, a former top-ranked collegiate swimmer from the University of Kentucky, criticized Democratic lawmakers who opposed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, accusing them of prioritizing their political interests over their responsibilities as parents.
The bill passed in the House last month with no support from Democrats, Fox News reported.
The partisan bill was passed by the House in April by a 219-203 vote, with all “yes” votes coming from Republicans and all “no” votes coming from Democrats. The measure, which likely won’t pass the Democrat-controlled Senate or, if it does, be signed by President Joe Biden, aims to amend Title IX to prevent schools that receive federal funding from allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports. Some Democrats accused Republicans of “bullying” transgender student-athletes by supporting the legislation, but that’s a common talking point on the left.
During an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime” on Thursday, Gaines expressed her confusion at male lawmakers who have daughters but opposed the legislation, calling them “spineless” for prioritizing political pressure over their responsibilities as fathers to safeguard their children.
“This is another question I tend to find myself asking, specifically and thinking about fathers… when every single Democrat voted in opposition of protecting women and girls in sports. In particular, I think of those dads who did that. Those dads, do they want their daughters sharing locker rooms with men?” she asked.
“Do they want their daughters losing out on opportunities being asked to kindly step aside and smile and give away their trophy to a man? Is that what they want?” Gaines continued.
“I truthfully believe in my heart the answer is no,” Gaines told Watters. “Yet, they are willing to throw that out of the window and say yes. That is what they want. And It’s because they are spineless. They have no backbone, no morals, and they are cowards.”
Gaines made her comments following a speech by a California high school senior who criticized her school district for permitting a biological male student to use the women’s locker room went viral this week.
According to Fox 11 in Los Angeles, parents have reported that a transgender student who was allowed to use the women’s locker room had a history of “erratic and uncomfortable behavior” and had access to girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms. Students also claimed that the student had “shown his genitals” in the girl’s locker room. The student was later expelled from the school. Riverside Police have stated that this was not the first time the transgender student had been involved in an altercation.
For her part, Gaines was forced to share a locker room with University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who is biologically male, which ultimately led to her activism on behalf of only allowing biological females to compete against each other.
” It seems to be whether that be at the state level, the federal level, across the general public, it seems that it’s women who are fighting the sex-based protections….it’s mind-boggling,” she said. “It’s something I truly don’t understand. Again, this is something that we are seeing almost unanimously,” Gaines told Watters.
“I think we can agree that women typically tend to be more agreeable. They tend to not want to ruffle feathers they don’t want to step on toes. But that’s how we have gotten here by being agreeable. By being quiet, by not being bold and using our voice,” she said.
