Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and conservative activist Riley Gaines are clashing on social media over Gaines’ comments about a transgender softball player.
Gaines had commented on an X post from the Minnesota State High School League, saying “Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.” The comment referred to Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender athlete who helped her team secure a state championship win in softball.
Biles responded by calling Gaines a “straight up sore loser” and telling her she was “truly sick”. Biles criticized Gaines for bullying the trans community instead of promoting inclusivity. She suggested creating a separate category for trans athletes or finding ways to make sports more inclusive.
Gaines fired back, saying Biles’ comments were disappointing and that she felt her stance was the least controversial one. Gaines also accused Biles of being a “male-apologist” at the expense of young girls’ dreams.
The exchange comes as the Trump administration pushes back against states like California, which allow transgender athletes to participate in sports aligned with their gender identity. This issue has been contentious for years, with some arguing that it’s unfair to allow trans athletes to compete in events where their physical characteristics give them an advantage. Others argue that it’s discriminatory to exclude trans athletes from participating.
In a related development, California recently changed its rules to allow more “biological female student-athletes” to participate in the same events as trans-athletes. This move comes after a 16-year-old transgender athlete won both high school girls’ and triple jump events at a state track meet.
Source: https://people.com/simone-biles-calls-out-sore-loser-riley-gaines-for-anti-trans-sports-comments-11750215