"Lia Thomas made a name for himself on our backs" - Riley Gaines on being accused of benefiting from the transgender swimmer 

Riley Gaines slams a media house after accusing her  of benefiting from Lia Thomas
Riley Gaines slams a media house after accusing her of benefiting from Lia Thomas' success

Riley Gaines slammed a media house after the accusation that she gained recognition, benefiting from Lia Thomas' success. Gaines is an advocate for the safety of women in sports and has ardently spoken against transgender athletes competing in women's sports.

Media Matters for America accused Gaines of making a name for herself by standing up against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and others for competing in the women's category. The title of their article read,

"Over a year after her last race against Lia Thomas, Riley Gaines has built a media career on the trans swimmer's name."

The article also stated that in 28% of the interviews from the last two months, Gaines said that cis-gender women are at risk of sexual trauma while sharing the locker rooms with trans athletes.

Gaines gave a befitting reply to the accusation and stated that it was Thomas who achieved victories by competing in the women's category after hormone replacement therapy.

"Media Matters says I built my name on Lia Thomas' back," Gaines wrote.
No, @mmfa Lia Thomas made a name for himself on our backs. The backs of girls and women," Gaines retorted.
"I would happily go back to being a dentist tomorrow if this was all curbed, but I was taught to stand up to injustice when you see," the former NCAA swimmer wrote.

At the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in March 2022, Gaines and Thomas tied for fifth place in the finals of women's 200-yard freestyle, but Thomas was the one to receive a medal.

Riley Gaines slams a trans footballer for suing female athletes after they refuse to compete

Riley Gaines slams a trans football player for suing the female athletes after they refuse to compete against the former
Riley Gaines slams a trans football player for suing the female athletes after they refuse to compete against the former

Riley Gaines slammed a trans football player, Francesca Needham, for threatening to sue after the female athletes refused to compete against Needham.

The denial from female athletes came after a player suffered a broken knee while blocking a shot from Needham, which left the team terrified. The refusal resulted in the calling off of two matches in the Sheffield and Hallamshire Women's League.

Needham, who played for the Rossington Main Ladies Club, stepped back from competing but threatened to sue on the basis of discrimination.

Gaines expressed her discontent towards the incident and wrote,

"The patriarchy is when a man breaks a woman's kneecap then claims he's being discriminated against."

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer
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