ESPN honored transgender woman athlete Lia Thomas, a biological male, in its “Celebrating Women’s History Month” segment, drawing heavy criticism, including some from Former University of Kentucky 12-time All-American swimmer Riley Gaines.
In the ESPN video, Thomas explained the choice to transition but did not discuss the choice to compete in the female league.
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“Being trans is not a choice. I didn’t have any other chouice because not transitioning wasn’t leading me anywhere…..People will say, ‘Oh, she just transitioned so she would have an advantage so she could win.’ I transitioned to be happy,”
Gaines blasted ESPN on Twitter shortly after they posted the video, rebuking ESPN’s characterization of Thomas as a role model,m and even calling for
“Lia Thomas is not a brave, courageous woman who EARNED a national title. He is an arrogant, cheat who STOLE a national title from a hardworking, deserving woman. The @ncaa is responsible. If I was a woman working at ESPN, I would walk out. You’re spineless @espn #boycottESPN”
Lia Thomas is not a brave, courageous woman who EARNED a national title. He is an arrogant, cheat who STOLE a national title from a hardworking, deserving woman. The @ncaa is responsible.
If I was a woman working at ESPN, I would walk out. You're spineless @espn #boycottESPN https://t.co/DF3n5RWsmV
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) March 26, 2023
Gaines isn’t alone. That same day, she tweeted her enthusiasm for others publicly agreeing.
“I’m so overjoyed to see more and more people feeling comfortable in publicly acknowledging how harmful the gender ideology propaganda being pushed really is (especially to women and children). Keep being bold and loud. We are the overwhelming majority.”
I'm so overjoyed to see more and more people feeling comfortable in publicly acknowledging how harmful the gender ideology propaganda being pushed really is (especially to women and children).
Keep being bold and loud. We are the overwhelming majority.
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) March 27, 2023
Figures as prominent as former presidential candidate TUlsi Gabbard have banged a similar drum, calling out the danger the transgender poses to women.
There is no greater expression of hatred and hostility towards women than to try to erase our existence as a category of people and to minimize us to being a construction of anyone’s imagination. Such an expression of hatred towards women is now the position of the Democratic… pic.twitter.com/OCm1k6G9xH
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) March 26, 2023
However, not everyone was so supportive. Gaines recently spoke at the University of Pittsburgh, drawing large protest crowds. Gaines also tweeted on the matter, comparing her treatment to that of Dylan Mulvney, another heavily publicized trans-woman.
“When Dylan Mulvaney comes to UPitt, he gets paid $26,000 from school funding. When Riley Gaines comes to UPitt, she gets protested, threatened with violence, and attempted to get the event canceled by students, faculty, and lawmakers. Something tells me Im doing something right”
When Dylan Mulvaney comes to UPitt, he gets paid $26,000 from school funding. When Riley Gaines comes to UPitt, she gets protested, threatened with violence, and attempted to get the event canceled by students, faculty, and lawmakers.
Something tells me Im doing something right https://t.co/RWqUx8AxgQ
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) March 28, 2023
In an interview with Varney and CO on Fox News, Gaines expanded on the response to her activism. She claimed that she had received no response from ESPN on the matter, which she said: “is of no surprise to me.”
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Gaines did, however, commend one ESPN personality, Sage Steele, because “she has taken a public stance on this. Of course, working around sports, we know the advantages that men have in comparison to women when we’re comparing things that require athleticism or sheer strength. And Sage has been the only woman working at ESPN to publicly acknowledge that, and so I admire her for her courageousness and her strength.”
When asked to explain why ESPN hasn’t snapped back at her, Gaines theorized that the cultural momentum is no longer on their side.
“People are becoming more bold, people are starting to open their eyes to what this gender ideology propaganda being pushed by the left, being pushed by the media, being pushed within education systems, [is].” she said. “They’re opening their eyes to how harmful this is, specifically, of course, to women and to children.”
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