Simone Biles vs Riley Gaines: Trans debate sparks heated clash on social media
The Musk vs Trump row waves haven't died down yet, and X (formerly, Twitter) has platformed yet another, what netizens are now calling, 'cat-fight'.
This time, the participants are
Simone Biles
and Riley Gaines.
What's happening?
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines have found themselves embroiled in a public dispute over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports. The controversy ignited after Gaines criticized a Minnesota high school softball team's state championship victory, led by transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger. Gaines referred to Rothenberger as 'a boy,' sparking backlash from Biles and others.
— Simone_Biles (@Simone_Biles)
What triggered the fight?
Champlin Park High School's softball team won the Minnesota state title with Rothenberger, a transgender athlete, leading them to victory. Gaines, quite well-known for her opposition to transgender women competing in women's sports, took to social media to express her disapproval, labeling Rothenberger's participation as unfair. She also disabled comments on her post, which led to further criticism.
What followed?
Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in Olympic history and a vocal advocate for inclusivity in sports, used her platform to confront Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer known for campaigning against transgender athletes in women's sports, responded to Gaines' comments calling her 'truly sick' and accusing her of being a 'sore loser,' who bullies transgender athletes rather than seeking inclusion.
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Biles suggested that instead of attacking transgender athletes, Gaines should work towards creating inclusive spaces or separate categories for them in sports. She also labeled Gaines as a 'bully' for her stance.
Simone's X post read, 'You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL SPORTS!! But instead … You bully them … One thing's for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!'
Biles concluded with a final jab, 'Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.'
Gaines, of course, fired back at Biles, saying, 'This is actually so disappointing. It's not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. You can uplift men stealing championships in women's sports with YOUR platform. Men don't belong in women's sports and I say that with my full chest.'
She also hit back against Biles' suggestion of a transgender category and rejected accusations of body-shaming.
The bigger debate:
The heated sparring between Biles and Gaines highlights the ongoing debate in sports regarding fairness and inclusion. Gaines argues that allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports undermines fairness due to perceived physical advantages. She has been vocal in advocating for policies that restrict transgender athletes' participation in women's categories.
On the other hand, Biles and other advocates for transgender rights emphasize the importance of inclusivity and the need to create environments where all athletes, regardless of gender identity, feel welcome and supported.
Studies show that nearly 80% of people support keeping biological males out of girls' and women's sports, but Biles challenges the sports community to find solutions that balance fairness and inclusion with suggesting the possibility of establishing separate categories for transgender athletes to balance fairness and inclusion.
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