Riley Gaines: Trans athletes make women’s sports a civil rights issue

It’s the preeminent civil rights issue of our day: the protection of girls in women’s sports.

Last month’s stolen victory by a male runner in the girls’ 400-meter dash at the Washington state championships underscores a heightened sense of urgency for current and future generations of female athletes.

Lauren Matthew, West Valley School District’s top-seeded runner, is just the latest young woman to lose a title to a mediocre male claiming to be female. Naturally, the boy secured the championship by one second.

It follows a similar victory over 100-meter gold medalist Aster Jones by a male runner in the girls’ 200-meter race in Oregon — another girl who, like Matthew, deserves to be recognized as the rightful champion in her state.

These instances are not isolated; they are part of a growing trend that raises significant questions about fairness in sports.

I’m so proud of the girls who valiantly stood on the podium despite likely feeling disparaged and belittled.

Video from Washington shows how they cheered for Lauren Matthew, the rightful state champion. When the boy’s name was called, the female runners’ body language said more than words ever could.

Their stiff yet stoic stance shows they didn’t approve of their opportunities being stripped from them, but that their voices had been silenced by the adults.

I know this because I’ve experienced it too. 

I saw it firsthand when I competed against a man, William “Lia” Thomas, in the 2022 NCAA 200-yard freestyle swimming championship.

My “a-ha moment” came when I was denied the trophy that Thomas received, even though our times were tied down to the hundredth of a second.

It’s not sexist to acknowledge biological differences. Men, on average, are stronger, taller, and faster than women — it is fact. These advantages do not disappear because an individual wills it to be so.

To tell young girls that they must compete against athletes who possess these inherent physical advantages is to tell them that their efforts and achievements are less valuable.

It is to tell them that they are not worthy of calling themselves champions, that they must resign themselves to competing for second place.

It’s a devastating message to send to the next generation of female athletes.

We are a nation in decline largely due to weak-kneed, cowardly leaders who find it more important to protect the feelings of males than to defend the sex-based rights of all.

Each sex is deserving of privacy, safety and fairness, as guaranteed in federal law by Title IX.

But the law is only as good as the adults, coaches, teachers, judges and officials willing to enforce it. When adults fail to speak up, children, specifically young girls, get hurt.

I have dedicated myself to this cause, which is why I founded the Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute. The center empowers young women by providing them with the knowledge, tools and support to advocate for fairness and integrity in women’s sports.

This issue transcends athletics; it touches on broader societal values.

It is about recognizing and respecting the unique experiences and attributes of women. It is about ensuring that girls and women are not sidelined — or told their sole purpose is to validate the feelings and identity of males.

It’s time for a generation of brave girls willing to stand up and say: “No, I will not compete against a boy.”

It’s not just about winning races; it’s about a shift in how we value female athletes — a shift that I believe is detrimental to the progress and empowerment of women.

Every girl who wants to end this nonsense once and for all has a place at the Riley Gaines Center. We can be a powerful, unstoppable force for good in protecting women’s sport, ensuring that the next generation of female athletes can compete with dignity and equal chances of opportunity and success.

Riley Gaines, a 12-time All-American swimmer and five-time SEC champion, is founder and director of the  Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute.