"Guts to say what most grown men won't say"- Riley Gaines reacts to Volleyball player Ainsley Erzen's testimony defending women's sports in Minnesota

Riley Gaines recently reacted to the Minnesota House of Representatives' session where high school volleyball athlete Ainsley Erzen testified in support of protecting women's sports. Erzen stressed the need to preserve fair competition by ensuring that female sports teams remain exclusive to biological women.

Erzen's testimony aligns with the introduction of House File 12 (HF12), a bill proposed during the 2025-2026 legislative session. This bill aims to limit participation in female sports teams to biological females. Lawmakers discussed the bill in the Education Policy Committee on February 19, 2025.

The debate over transgender athletes in women's sports has been intense in Minnesota following an incident when Hope Walz, daughter of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, criticized President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender athletes from women's sports, describing it as a 'dangerous precedent'.

A video of Ainsley Erzen's testimony was shared on X/Twitter on February 20, 2025, with a caption including some parts of the transcript of the audio.

"MUST WATCH: Ainsley, a Minnesota volleyball athlete, testifies before the Minnesota House of Representatives on protecting women’s sports.WOW."

Riley Gaines reshared the video on her X/Twitter handle and voiced her opinion:

"Incredibly brave young girl who has the guts to say what most grown men won't say even still. Kudos"

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Riley Gaines questions gender-based sports categories amid NCAA Lawsuit

Riley Gaines during Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Holds Rally In Glendale, Arizona - Source: Getty

In March 2024, Riley Gaines touched upon her strong belief in keeping separate sports categories for men and women. She argued that allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports takes away the purpose of having gender-based divisions.

Her concerns are not just about physically demanding sports; she believes that all competitions meant for women should be reserved for biological females.

Gaines is now one of 16 athletes who sued the NCAA, challenging its policy that allows transgender women to take part in female sporting events. The lawsuit claims that these rules go against Title IX, a federal law that guarantees equal opportunities for men and women in education and sports.

The former swimmer, reflecting on her opinion, said:

"Men shouldn’t be in women’s category in chess, pool, or any sport. Why even have a women’s category if men can play wherever they want?" (thepinknews.com)

Riley Gaines has been outspoken about transgender athletes in women's sports since a trophy controversy in 2022. At the NCAA Women's Swimming Championships, she tied for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle with University of Pennsylvania's transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Despite the tie, officials awarded the trophy to Thomas and told Gaines she would receive hers at a later time.