"She's my role model" - Riley Gaines lauds Kellie-Jay Keen for "unapologetically" calling transgender swimmer Lia Thomas a man

Former swimmer Riley Gaines has praised Kellie-Jay Keen, an anti-transgender rights activist, for her actions at a recent event. Gaines shared how Keen, also known as Posie Parker, inspires her to speak her mind without fearing anyone.

Riley Gaines has actively worked to create awareness about women’s rights in the sports field. The former athlete and women's rights activist is of the opinion that due to trans women athletes, the rights of female athletes are jeopardized, including their opportunities and security.

Thus, to create awareness, the 23-year-old has been vehemently working on safeguarding women’s rights. Gaines also regularly highlights the events that are related to the disparity between trans women and female athletes.

Recently, Gaines shared a video of a swimming event where trans woman Lia Thomas was speaking in the stadium after her performance. As she spoke, Kellie-Jay Keen twice shouted from the stands, "He’s a man."

Riley Gaines was highly impressed with what Keen did. The young activist shared the video on her X (formerly known as Twitter) page and wrote:

"She's my role model! The word fearless gets tossed around a lot, but Kellie-Jay Keen is the embodiment of it. She was at the NCAA championships and was the first I had seen to unapologetically and loudly call Thomas what he is...a man. She showed me it's not hard to say that."

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Riley Gaines calls out school for rehiring trans man tennis coach

Riley Gaines

Riley Gaines recently expressed her displeasure on learning about the reappointment of a transgender tennis coach at the Gettysburg Area School District in Pennsylvania, USA. The trans man was previously reprimanded three times. However, in 2022, the school rehired him with a 6-2 vote.

Michelle Smeyrs was one of the members who was against the decision. She found it necessary to disclose the coach's shameful behavior with female players in the school. Smeyrs said the coach would enter the girls' locker room and take off his inner garments in the presence of girls. Smeyrs added that he would also ask female students about their menstrual cycles and their preferred underwear type.

On learning about the happenings in the school, Gaines commended Smerys for sharing such stories in public. Moreover, she called out the school for their inconsideration of women’s rights. The activist wrote on X:

"Michelle fulfilled her duty as a school board member by protecting the children and parental rights. All but one other failed to do their job. I applaud Michelle. Where do we draw the line? When is enough, enough?"