This week marks the 51st anniversary of the enactment of Title IX, the historic federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex at federally funded educational institutions.
Today, these advancements are under threat as the Biden administration works to expand Title IX by putting forward a new Department of Education regulation requiring that schools allow biological males who identify as females to compete in women’s athletics.
Gaines began her advocacy work after competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who swam for the University of Pennsylvania men’s team for three years before becoming the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming title in 2022.
The biological advantages that Thomas had over the other female competitors sparked immense criticism. But despite so many female athletes being pressured to stay silent and accept the infiltration of women’s sports by biological men, Riley spoke out against the injustices being forced upon female athletes.
One young girl wrote to Gaines, “The same biological male who I raced in [cross country], I also raced in track. It all just feels unfair, I have absolutely no power to do anything.”
Another female athlete wrote to Gaines, “You’re a huge inspiration to me. Today, I found out that I didn’t qualify for [cross country] state because a transwoman took my spot. It’s my senior year in high school, and I’ll never get that chance again. Thank you for what you are doing.”
Gaines has not only used her voice and her platform to offer encouragement for young female athletes but also to call for political action.
“I know that I don’t speak for every single person who competed against Lia Thomas but I know I speak for many because I saw the tears,” Gaines said in her opening statement. “I saw the tears from the ninth and 17th place finishers who missed out on being named an All-American by one place. I can attest to the extreme discomfort in the locker room from these 18–22-year-old girls when you turn around and there’s male eyes watching in that same room. And I can attest to the whispers and the grumbles of anger and frustration from these girls who just like myself worked their entire lives to get to this meet.”
As the Biden administration seeks to expand Title IX protections to biological men, the advocacy efforts of Riley Gaines to defend female athletes are a source of hope and inspiration for women striving to achieve their dreams.