Former college swimmer Riley Gaines has criticized her controversial trans rival Lia Thomas after Thomas called on President Biden to allow transgender student-athletes to compete against their chosen gender unopposed.
Gaines tweeted, “This recording is selfish and shows total disregard for women. The Biden administration is actively and aggressively working to pass laws that would eliminate decent and fair treatment of women in sports,” Gaines tweeted in response to the video.
‘Are you really trying to say that you would have won a national title against the men? Doesn’t it break your heart to see women miss out on these opportunities,” Gaines wrote.
The Biden administrators [sic] bill denies science, truth and common sense.”
Gaines was disgruntled after Thomas appeared in a video announcing Biden’s proposal to change the current Title IX civil rights law, which prohibits gender discrimination in schools.
She said trans athletes should be able to participate in school competitions without exception.
Biden’s planned amendment prohibits schools from imposing blanket benches on trans athletes in kindergarten through eighth grade.
But it does give high schools the power to ban trans athletes from competing if they feel there are obvious issues around fairness, which are much more likely to arise among trans girls who have gone through male puberty.
Thomas caused a frenzied reaction in the sports world when she won the Ivy League and NCAA Championships and competed against biological women.
Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer, tied with Thomas in one race and has since become a prolific commentator on the issue of trans sportswomen.
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines slammed transgender swimmer Lia Thomas for passing a bill proposed by the Biden administration that would amend Title IX to protect trans athletes
In the roughly 90-second clip, Thomas says the government’s rule doesn’t go far enough in protecting transgender athletes.
The bill, which is an amendment to Title IX — the federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex — would bar states from imposing a blanket ban on transgender athletes who compete against their non-biological sex in grades K-8.
However, it would not prevent such bans against older trans athletes, who are in high school and college.
Thomas, who competed on the University of Pennsylvania men’s swim team before transitioning into the girls’ locker rooms, says in the video that protections against trans athletes should extend beyond high school.
Thomas said the proposed rule is a “good start” but “not enough.”
This rule is a good start. However, it’s not enough. In this time of intense anti-transgender opposition, the trans community needs explicit protection from discrimination in order to live our lives freely and equally,” said Thomas.
“All trans kids deserve the chance to compete and play in the sports they love without compromising who they are.”
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and Riley Gaines share the stage at an NCAA meeting
Since graduating from college, Gaines has become an outspoken advocate for protecting women’s sports from infiltrated and dominated transgender athletes
Thomas competed on the University of Pennsylvania men’s swim team for three years before switching and competing on the women’s team
The national swimming champion, who wore a tank top that read “trans athletes belong in the sport” in the video, is encouraging others to urge the Biden administration to change the rule so that all trans athletes, regardless of age, be included in it.
The video and Gaines’ criticism of it come after the Biden White House vowed to veto a bill that would prevent biological men from participating in women’s sports.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act was introduced by Florida Representative Greg Steube and is likely to go to a vote on the House floor sometime this week.
The legislation faces a fierce battle in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
A statement from the White House read: “The administration strongly opposes the passage of HR 734 (Steube’s bill) by the House. For students across the country, playing sports and being part of a team is an important part of growing up, staying involved in school, and learning leadership and life skills.
“HR 734 would deny access to sports for many families by placing an absolute ban on transgender students — even those as young as elementary school students — playing on a team consistent with their gender identity.”
The statement claimed the law would enforce a “one-size-fits-all requirement that forces coaches to remove children from their teams,” arguing that transgender youth across the country are already facing a mental health crisis.