Riley Gaines praises girls who refused to compete with trans athlete as WV takes law to Supreme Court

Riley Gaines

Fox News

Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer from the Kentucky Wildcats known for advocating for fairness in women’s sports, commended a group of middle school girls who took a stand against competing with a transgender athlete recently.

America Reports

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Gaines, appearing on Fox News Channel’s “America Reports” alongside West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, discussed Morrisey’s decision to challenge the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling on the state’s “Save Women’s Sports Act.”

Withdraw

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In Bridgeport, West Virginia, these middle-school girls participated in shot put and discus events but chose to withdraw from competing against a transgender athlete as a form of protest, as reported by OutKick.

Gaines for Girls

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“I could not be more proud of these girls,” Gaines, an OutKick contributor who hosts the “Gaines for Girls” podcast told Sandra Smith. “Again, 13, 14 years old, they’re in middle school yet they’re the ones who are forced to be the adults in the room to advocate for their own rights to quality opportunity, safety and privacy which were once ensured by Title IX, but now, of course, are under threat, and which were once ensured by the law here in West Virginia. But now, with the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling, it’s all under threat, which sets a terrible precedent.”

Inspired

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“Could not be more proud, could not be more inspired, by these girls. Ultimately, that’s what revitalizes me. It reminds me of what we’re fighting for. It’s girls just like Emmy Salerno and the other four girls who decided not to compete against a boy when given the opportunity.”

Celebrated

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Morrisey celebrated the girls. “What we saw last week with those five young girls stepping up, I think that should be replicated across the country,” he said. “But the stakes in this case on a lot of these issues, they couldn’t be any higher.”

Stand With Women

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Before this incident, Morrisey and Gaines attended the symbolic signing of the Independent Women’s Voice’s “Stand With Women” pledge.

Legal battle

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Subsequently, Morrisey declared his intention to escalate the state’s legal battle over the Save Women’s Sports Act to the Supreme Court. The Act aimed to prevent transgender girls from competing against biological girls in sports.

Violation

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However, the law was challenged, and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, ruled against it, citing a violation of Title IX. This ruling favored the American Civil Liberties Union, its West Virginia chapter, and Lambda Legal.

Vigorously

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“We’re vigorously defending the law and that law is reasonable,” Morrisey said. “It’s based on biology and it’s based on fairness.

Integrity

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“We’re working on defending the integrity of women’s sports. We must protect our young women. Opportunities for women and girls are precious and we have to take advantage for every one of them. And every time a biological male competes, he takes away an opportunity from a biological girl.

Unfair

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“That isn’t just unfair. Boys have a competitive advantage. They’re bigger. They’re faster. They’re stronger – whether or not they’ve gone through typical biological male puberty.”

Risks

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During a press conference, Gaines emphasized the risks, unfairness, and discrimination associated with allowing males to compete in women’s sports, advocating for an end to this practice, a cause Morrisey has vigorously championed.

Biological gender

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West Virginia’s “Save Women’s Sports Act,” enacted in 2021, mandated that student-athletes participate according to their biological gender. The law faced legal challenges citing violations of the 14th Amendment and Title IX protections.

Title IX

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While U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin ruled in January 2023 that the law did not breach Title IX, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later voted 2-1 to reinstate a preliminary injunction.

Significant decision

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In a significant decision last April, the Supreme Court permitted a transgender girl to compete with biological girls on her middle school’s sports teams, declining to overturn an appeals court ruling that allowed her participation in track and cross-country. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from this ruling.