Riley Gaines

Riley Gaines
Gaines in 2024
Personal information
Birth nameRiley Marie Gaines
Born (2000-04-21) April 21, 2000 (age 24)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Kentucky
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight136 lb (62 kg)
SpouseLouis Barker[1]
Websiterileygaines.com
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesButterfly
College teamUniversity of Kentucky
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing the  United States
NCAA Championships
Silver medal – second place 2021 Greensboro 4x200 y freestyle relay
SEC Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Knoxville 200 y butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2021 Columbia 800 y freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2020 Auburn 800 y freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Athens 800 y freestyle

Riley Marie Gaines[2] (born April 21, 2000),[3][4] also known as Riley Gaines Barker,[5] is an American conservative political activist and swimmer, known for campaigning against the participation of trans women in women's sports. As a 12-time NCAA All-American[6][7] she competed for the University of Kentucky NCAA swim team before retiring from competition and focusing on political activism.

Since 2023, she has hosted the weekly OutKick and Fox Nation podcast Gaines for Girls.[8][9][10]

Early life

Gaines was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee.[11] Her parents were active in sports. Her father, Brad Gaines, played football at Vanderbilt University and her mother, Telisha Gaines, played softball at Donelson Christian Academy and Austin Peay State University.[12] Gaines attended Station Camp High School in Gallatin, Tennessee.[13] As a junior, she won the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle in the TISCA High School Swim & Dive Championship in Knoxville in 2017.[14]

College athletics

Gaines joined the University of Kentucky's swim team and made the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2019. She also made the All-SEC Second Team in 2019 and 2020. She participated in the 2021 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, coming second in the 4 × 200 yd freestyle relay and seventh in the 200 freestyle race; she made the All-SEC First Team that year.[15] In 2021, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials.[7] She was the 2022 Southeastern Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year.[16][17][18]

Following on from her earlier promising results at SEC and NCAA events, Gaines was never able to qualify for an Olympic Games, or for a Pan-Pacific or World Aquatics Championship despite numerous attempts. She was invited to a tryout for a 2024 Olympic qualification event in 2021, but failed to qualify for the event proper. In April 2022, she subsequently retired from competitive swimming.[citation needed]

In March 2022, while swimming for the University of Kentucky in the 200-yard NCAA freestyle championship (her final competitive event race before retiring from the sport), Gaines tied for fifth place with University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who subsequently became the first openly trans woman champion in the NCAA women's division after winning the 500-yard freestyle later in the same event.[5][19] Gaines said that Thomas shared locker room space with them while still intact with "male genitalia" and that the championship trophy was to be given to Thomas for "photo purposes" and that Gaines was expected to go empty handed while waiting for her trophy in the mail.[20] This incident began her activism.[21]

Activism

Gaines has advocated against the inclusion of transgender women in the women's division of sports, including by lobbying her state representatives in April 2022 to pass a law that would prohibit transgender women from women's sports.[22][23][24]

In September 2022, Gaines supported the campaign of US Senator Rand Paul by appearing in a TV ad for him, where she shared her criticism of trans women in women's sports.[25]

By January 2023, Gaines had participated in a small protest at the NCAA Convention, appeared in campaign advertisements for former US Senate candidate Herschel Walker, and spoken at a Donald Trump rally.[26]

In March 2023, Gaines was an invited speaker at a Texas Senate committee in support of legislation that would categorically prohibit transgender college athletes from competing in sports divisions that align with their gender identity.[5]

In April 2023, Gaines visited San Francisco State University for a Turning Point USA student chapter event and spoke publicly about her campaign against transgender athletes in women's sports.[27][28] After the event concluded, protesters arrived.[21][27] Gaines was escorted by law enforcement officers to shelter in a classroom, where she stayed for three hours while protesters continued to demonstrate outside.[21][27] After the event, Gaines said she had been physically struck twice by a person during the protest.[24][21]

Gaines speaks at the 2023 Young Women's Leadership Conference.

On June 21, 2023, Gaines appeared as a witness at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on safeguarding civil rights for LGBTQ Americans and according to C-SPAN, shared her "own personal experience competing with trans swimmer Lia Thomas and having to share the same dressing room."[29][30]

Gaines accompanied Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt as he signed an anti-trans executive order in August 2023 representing Independent Women's Voice (IWV) which had developed model legislation the Oklahoma bill was based on.[31][32][33][34] The executive order includes a variety of provisions, including a prohibition on transgender women and girls using bathrooms and locker rooms designated for women, a direction to state agencies to use sex assigned at birth to define male and female, as well as definitions for terms such as "man" and "woman."[31][32][35][36]

In November 2023, Gaines confirmed working with FIDE to prevent transgender women from playing in women's chess. This prompted criticism from PinkNews for claiming that trans women had an advantage at chess.[37] That month she also testified to the Ohio Senate Government Oversight Committee about her experiences competing with Thomas and on preventing trans women from competing in female sports in Ohio. The House would go on to pass Bill 68 that would “prevent trans athletes from participating in Ohio women’s sports and would block doctors from providing gender-affirming care to trans youth.”[38]

In March 2024, Gaines was one of sixteen female student athletes who launched a legal case against the National Collegiate Athletic Association over the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports.[39][40]

In August 2024, Gaines announced the launch of the "Riley Gaines Center" at the Leadership Institute in Arlington, Virginia.[41][42]

Personal life

Gaines is a Christian and has stated that her faith has shaped her activism.[43][44]

She started dating British swimmer Louis Barker after meeting at the University of Kentucky in 2019, and they married in 2022.[45]

On June 2, 2023, Gaines endorsed Ron DeSantis in the 2024 US presidential election;[46] after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, she expressed her support for Trump's candidacy.[47]

She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2022 with a degree in health sciences. Her original plan was to become a dentist.[48]

Awards

Gaines has been presented with:

References

  1. ^ White, Nic. "Riley Gaines says her immigrant husband has been waiting two years for a green card as she joins Elon Musk in calling for expedited immigration for 'anyone who is talented, hard-working and honest'". Daily 'Mail. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  2. ^ "LSC: SE For Dates 9/1/2012 - 8/31/2013" (PDF). USA Swimming. p. 9. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  3. ^ Keith, Braden (October 13, 2022). "NCAA Establishes New Policy For Championship Ties Amid 2022 Controversy". SwimSwam. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  4. ^ Gaines, Riley [@rileygbarker] (April 21, 2024). "cheers to 24🥂🥳❣️ thanks for all the love & birthday wishes". Retrieved April 22, 2024 – via Instagram.
  5. ^ a b c Goldenstein, Taylor (March 14, 2023). "Three female athletes back Texas college transgender sports ban as LGBTQ activists warn of harm". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  6. ^ Bird, Darrel (March 5, 2021). "Women athletes are crushing it at Kentucky, and nationally". 24/7 Sports. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Riley Gaines". UK Athletics. August 28, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Ahmad Austin Jr. (July 10, 2023). "OutKick Announces New Podcast Hosted by Riley Gaines". Mediaite. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  9. ^ Heather Hamilton (July 10, 2023). "Riley Gaines to join OutKick with new show Gaines for Girls - Washington Examiner". Washington Examiner. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  10. ^ "OutKick Shows Launch on FOX Nation". Business Wire. July 31, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  11. ^ Gaines, Riley [@Riley_Gaines] (July 20, 2023). "Clarifying I'm born and raised in Nashville ..." (Tweet). Retrieved April 22, 2024 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ Organ, Mike (March 27, 2016). "Former Vanderbilt star careful not to pressure his kids". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  13. ^ Brooks, Chris (July 3, 2016). "Gaines has 'good experience' in trials". The Tennessean. pp. M.9. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  14. ^ Michael, Murphy (February 22, 2017). "Riley Gaines three-peats -- twice: Station Camp junior wins 100 free, 100 fly for third year in a row". The Tennessean. pp. M.4. ISSN 1053-6590. ProQuest 1870507109
  15. ^ "2022 SEC Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athletes of the Year Announced". SwimSwam. February 18, 2022. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Riley Gaines Named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year". The Sports Ledger. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  17. ^ Vaught, Larry (February 14, 2021). "Success nothing new for Riley Gaines but she would like to add SEC title this week". Your Sports Edge 2021. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  18. ^ Vaught, Larry (February 11, 2021). "Junior Riley Gaines expects UK to contend for title in unique SEC Championships". The State Journal. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  19. ^ Barnes, Katie (March 17, 2022). "Thomas first transgender athlete to win D-I title". ESPN. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  20. ^ McCarthy, Claudine (May 1, 2023). "Practical Guidance on Athletics Laws and Regulations". College Athletics and the Law. 20 (2). doi:10.1002/catl.31167. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  21. ^ a b c d Regimbal, Alec (April 7, 2023). "Anti-Lia Thomas activist whisked away by police amid protest at San Francisco State". SFGATE. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  22. ^ Linder, Brian (April 4, 2022). "Kentucky's Riley Gaines says NCAA needs to 'make changes' to rules that allowed transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete at national championships". PENN Live. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  23. ^ McClanahan, Gil (April 13, 2022). "Ky. Senate overrides veto of Fairness in Women's Sports Act; UK swimmer voices her opinion". WHCS FOX 11 Eyewitness News. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Chen, Natasha; Mossburg, Cheri (April 7, 2023). "Former college swimmer says she was assaulted at an event opposing the inclusion of trans women in women's sports". CNN. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  25. ^ Watkins, Morgan (October 29, 2022). "Rand Paul campaign ad features former UK swimmer, slams transgender athletes, trans women". Courier Journal. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  26. ^ Foster, Matt (January 13, 2023). "Protest over inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports held outside NCAA Convention". CNN. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  27. ^ a b c Hernandez, Adriana (April 7, 2023). "Riley Gaines visit to SF State results in trans-rights activist protest". Golden Gate Xpress. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  28. ^ Ross, Alexandra (March 28, 2023). "'Spiritual warfare': Riley Gaines speaks against trans women in women's sports at on-campus event". The Pitt News. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  29. ^ "American Swimmer Riley Gaines on Competing with Trans Athlete Lia Thomas". C-SPAN.org. June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  30. ^ Ring, Trudy (June 22, 2023). "Anti-Trans Misinformation Spewed at Senate Hearing — But It Gets Countered". The Advocate. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  31. ^ a b Murphy, Sean (August 1, 2023). "Transgender rights targeted in executive order signed by Oklahoma governor". AP News. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  32. ^ a b France, Hannah; Korth, Robby (August 1, 2023). "Oklahoma Executive Order enacts 'Women's Bill of Rights,' critics call it 'transmisogyny'". KOSU/NPR. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  33. ^ Kemp, Adam (August 16, 2023). "This new Oklahoma executive order narrowly defines 'woman'". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  34. ^ Demirhan, Ansev (May 15, 2024). "Meet the Anti-Feminist Women's Group Leveraging Their 'Independence' to Convince Americans to Vote Republican". Ms. Magazine.
  35. ^ Stitt, Kevin (August 1, 2023). "Executive Order 2023-20" (PDF). Oklahoma Secretary of State. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  36. ^ Migdon, Brooke (August 2, 2023). "Oklahoma governor signs order targeting transgender rights". The Hill. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  37. ^ Billson, Chantelle (November 29, 2023). "Riley Gaines dragged for claim trans women have chess advantage". PinkNews. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  38. ^ Henry, Megan (November 29, 2023). "Riley Gaines testifies in support of Ohio bill blocking trans athletes and gender-affirming care". Ohio Capital Journal. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  39. ^ Lawton, Matt (March 14, 2024). "Women athletes launch landmark case against transgender inclusion". The Times. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  40. ^ Rumsby, Ben (March 14, 2024). "Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in fresh legal battle". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  41. ^ "Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines launches center to advocate for biological women".
  42. ^ "Leadership Institute launches the Riley Gaines Center". August 9, 2023.
  43. ^ Alcindor, Nicole; Reporter, C. P. (July 18, 2023). "Riley Gaines says spiritual awakening is helping her in fight to ban men in women sports". The Christian Post. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  44. ^ Hahn, Nicole (February 24, 2024). "Riley Gaines Speaks 'Biblical Truth' About Men Competing Against Women". Today’s Catholic. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  45. ^ Shinde, Janhavi (February 13, 2024). "Who is Riley Gaines' husband? Everything to know about Louis Barker who the former swimmer met at University of Kentucky". Sportskeeda. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  46. ^ "Riley Gaines Praises Ron DeSantis as a Leader Who Has 'Drawn the Line,' Protected Women's Sports". National Review. June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  47. ^ Amani, Marie (July 14, 2024). "We just witnessed an assassination attempt- Riley Gaines reacts to shooting at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania". Sportskseeda. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  48. ^ "Success nothing new for Riley Gaines but she would like to add SEC title this week". Your Sports Edge 2021. October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  49. ^ "Riley Gaines Named Recipient of Prestigious Sullivan Award". UK Athletics. April 21, 2022.