Former NCAA star swimmer Riley Gaines responded forcefully to WNBA star Brittney Griner’s commentary on allowing biological males to participate in women’s athletics.
Griner was freed from a Russian prison camp in an infamous prisoner swap conducted by the Biden administration. She was incarcerated in Russia in Feb. 2022 after being caught in possession of vape cartridges with hash oil at a Moscow airport.
Speaking before the tipoff of the 2023 WNBA season, Griner said that it is a “crime” to “separate someone for any reason.” She was responding to a question from an ESPN reporter about recent legislative actions concerning biological males competing in women’s sports.
Griner said “that ranks high on the list of things I’ll be fighting for and speaking up against.” The basketball star asserted that “everyone deserves the right to play. Everyone deserves the right to come here, sit in these seats, and feel safe.”
I have such admiration for this young lady. I hope other young woman will be encouraged to stand up to Tranz Tyranny in their sports.
Riley Gaines Blasts Brittney Griner for Supporting Trans Athletes in Women's Sports https://t.co/8T3sgXdGnk
— Carrie ❤️ America 🇺🇸 (@carrieksada) May 1, 2023
She said she will use her platform to rally against legislation aimed at keeping biological males from taking slots in women’s sports.
Gaines, who took the mantle of the premiere athlete defending women’s athletics, tweeted her protest against Griner’s position. “Which NBA team would have @brittneygriner since apparently the overwhelming, obvious differences between men and women should simply be overlooked.”
She added in reference to Griner being freed in exchange for a notorious Russian arms merchant, “And if we’re going to talk about crimes, Brittney…”
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act was passed by the U.S. House last week. The legislation aimed to preserve women’s athletics for biological females.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) called it a “great day for America, for fairness, for families, and most importantly for female athletes. He noted that his GOP colleagues pledged before the 2022 midterm elections to protect women and girls in sports. “Today we kept that promise.”
President Joe Biden promised to wield his veto pen if the bill makes it to the Oval Office.
And on Wednesday, the Kansas State High School Activities Association decided that high schools and middle schools must see the birth certificates of transgender athletes to determine which teams they are eligible to play for.
