Riley Gaines
Gaines at the 2023 Pastors Summit hosted by Turning Point USA in Nashville, Tennessee
Born
Riley Marie Gaines

April 2000 (age 23)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Kentucky
SpouseLouis Barker
Sports career
Websiterileygaines.com
SportSwimming

Riley Marie Gaines[1] (born April 2000[2]), also known as Riley Gaines Barker,[3] is an American former competitive swimmer from Gallatin, Tennessee,[4] who competed for the University of Kentucky NCAA swim team. She was the 2022 Southeastern Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year.[5][6][7] Gaines has campaigned against the participation of trans women in women's sports.

Early life

Gaines' parents were also active in sports. Her father, Brad Gaines, played football at Vanderbilt University and her mother, Telisha Gaines, played softball at Donelson Christian Academy and Austin Peay.[8] Gaines attended Station Camp High School in Gallatin, Tennessee.[9] As a junior, she won the 100-meter butterfly and 100-meter freestyle in the TISCA High School Swim & Dive Championship in Knoxville in 2017.[10] Gaines is a Christian.[11]

College athletics

Gaines joined the University of Kentucky's swim team and made the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2019. She also made the All-SEC Second Team in 2019 and 2020. She participated in the 2021 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, coming second in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay and seventh in the 200m freestyle race; she made the All-SEC First Team that year.[12]

In 2022, while swimming for the University of Kentucky in the 200-yard NCAA freestyle championship, Gaines tied for fifth place with University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who became the first openly trans woman champion in the NCAA women's division after winning the 500-yard freestyle.[3][13]

Political activism

Gaines has advocated against the inclusion of trans women in the women's division of sports, including by lobbying her state representatives in April 2022 to pass a law that would prohibit transgender women from women's sports.[14][15][16]

In September 2022, Gaines supported the campaign of US Senator Rand Paul by appearing in a TV ad for him, where she shared her criticism of trans women in women's sports.[17]

By January 2023, Gaines had participated in a small protest at the NCAA Convention, appeared in campaign advertisements for former US Senate candidate Herschel Walker, and spoken at a Donald Trump rally.[18]

In March 2023, Gaines was an invited speaker at a Texas Senate committee in support of legislation that would categorically prohibit transgender college athletes from competing in sports divisions that align with their gender identity.[3]

In April 2023, Gaines visited San Francisco State University for a Turning Point USA student chapter event and spoke publicly about her campaign against transgender athletes in women's sports.[19][20] After the event concluded, protesters arrived.[21][19] Gaines was escorted by law enforcement officers to shelter in a classroom, where she stayed for three hours while protesters continued to demonstrate outside.[21][19] After the event, Gaines said she had been physically struck twice by a person during the protest.[16][21] PEN America called the incident a "disaster," adding that "Physical intimidation or violence is never an acceptable response to speech, no matter how hateful or controversial that speech may be."[16]

After the SFSU event, SFGATE wrote that Gaines "rose to prominence as an activist last year after tying for fifth place with trans swimmer Lia Thomas," and "has since gone on a public crusade against Thomas."[21] On June 2, 2023, Gaines endorsed Ron DeSantis in the 2024 US presidential election.[22]

On June 21, 2023, Gaines appeared as a witness at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on safeguarding civil rights for LGBTQ Americans and according to C-SPAN, shared her "own personal experience competing with trans swimmer Lia Thomas and having to share the same dressing room."[23][24]

In August 2023, Gaines and other members of the anti-trans group Independent Women's Voice accompanied Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt as he signed an executive order developed from model legislation created by IWV, after similar legislation twice failed to pass in the Oklahoma legislature.[25][26] The executive order includes a variety of provisions, including a prohibition on transgender women and girls using bathrooms and locker rooms designated for "women,"[27] a direction to state agencies to use sex assigned at birth to define male and female, as well as definitions for terms such as "man" and "woman."[26][25][28]

In November 2023, Gaines confirmed working with FIDE to prevent transgender women from playing in women's chess. This prompted criticism from PinkNews for claiming that trans women had an advantage at chess.[29]

References

  1. ↑ "LSC: SE For Dates 9/1/2012 - 8/31/2013" (PDF). USA Swimming. p. 9. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  2. ↑ Keith, Braden (October 13, 2022). "NCAA Establishes New Policy For Championship Ties Amid 2022 Controversy". SwimSwam. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Goldenstein, Taylor (March 14, 2023). "Three female athletes back Texas college transgender sports ban as LGBTQ activists warn of harm". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  4. ↑ Bird, Darrel (March 5, 2021). "Women athletes are crushing it at Kentucky, and nationally". 24/7 Sports. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Riley Gaines Named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year". The Sports Ledger. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  6. ↑ Vaught, Larry (February 14, 2021). "Success nothing new for Riley Gaines but she would like to add SEC title this week". Your Sports Edge 2021. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  7. ↑ Vaught, Larry (February 11, 2021). "Junior Riley Gaines expects UK to contend for title in unique SEC Championships". The State Journal. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  8. ↑ Organ, Mike (March 27, 2016). "Former Vanderbilt star careful not to pressure his kids". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  9. ↑ Brooks, Chris (July 3, 2016). "Gaines has 'good experience' in trials". The Tennessean. pp. M.9. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  10. ↑ Michael, Murphy (February 22, 2017). "Riley Gaines three-peats -- twice: Station Camp junior wins 100 free, 100 fly for third year in a row". The Tennessean. pp. M.4. ISSN 1053-6590. ProQuest 1870507109
  11. ↑ Alcindor, Nicole; Reporter, C. P. (July 18, 2023). "Riley Gaines says spiritual awakening is helping her in fight to ban men in women sports". The Christian Post. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  12. ↑ "2022 SEC Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athletes of the Year Announced". SwimSwam. February 18, 2022. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  13. ↑ Barnes, Katie (March 17, 2022). "Thomas first transgender athlete to win D-I title". ESPN. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  14. ↑ Linder, Brian (April 4, 2022). "Kentucky's Riley Gaines says NCAA needs to 'make changes' to rules that allowed transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete at national championships". PENN Live. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  15. ↑ McClanahan, Gil (April 13, 2022). "Ky. Senate overrides veto of Fairness in Women's Sports Act; UK swimmer voices her opinion". WHCS FOX 11 Eyewitness News. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 Chen, Natasha; Mossburg, Cheri (April 7, 2023). "Former college swimmer says she was assaulted at an event opposing the inclusion of trans women in women's sports". CNN. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  17. ↑ Watkins, Morgan (October 29, 2022). "Rand Paul campaign ad features former UK swimmer, slams transgender athletes, trans women". Courier Journal. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  18. ↑ Foster, Matt (January 13, 2023). "Protest over inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports held outside NCAA Convention". CNN. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 Hernandez, Adriana (April 7, 2023). "Riley Gaines visit to SF State results in trans-rights activist protest". Golden Gate Xpress. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  20. ↑ Ross, Alexandra (March 28, 2023). "'Spiritual warfare': Riley Gaines speaks against trans women in women's sports at on-campus event". The Pitt News. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Regimbal, Alec (April 7, 2023). "Anti-Lia Thomas activist whisked away by police amid protest at San Francisco State". SFGATE. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Riley Gaines Praises Ron DeSantis as a Leader Who Has 'Drawn the Line,' Protected Women's Sports". National Review. June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  23. ↑ "American Swimmer Riley Gaines on Competing with Trans Athlete Lia Thomas". C-SPAN.org. June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  24. ↑ Ring, Trudy (June 22, 2023). "Anti-Trans Misinformation Spewed at Senate Hearing — But It Gets Countered". The Advocate. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  25. 1 2 France, Hannah; Korth, Robby (August 1, 2023). "Oklahoma Executive Order enacts 'Women's Bill of Rights,' critics call it 'transmisogyny'". KOSU/NPR. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  26. 1 2 Murphy, Sean (August 1, 2023). "Transgender rights targeted in executive order signed by Oklahoma governor". AP News. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  27. ↑ Migdon, Brooke (August 2, 2023). "Oklahoma governor signs order targeting transgender rights". The Hill. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  28. ↑ Stitt, Kevin (August 1, 2023). "Executive Order 2023-20" (PDF). Oklahoma Secretary of State. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  29. ↑ Billson, Chantelle (November 29, 2023). "Riley Gaines dragged for claim trans women have chess advantage". PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
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