Riley Gaines has become a hotly-debated name in recent times. The former NCAA swimmer recently opposed Lia Thomas, who is a trans athlete competing with women in the NCAA swimming competitions. Lia and Gaines tied in the women’s 200-meter freestyle in the 2022 NCAA swimming and diving championships. Despite finishing in the same position, Lia was the one to receive the trophy.
It did not sit right with Rliey, who went on to write a scathing op-ed on Fox News regarding the topic. Since then, she has also spoken about the discomforts she and her fellow female athletes allegedly faced while sharing the changing room with Lia. Apparently, the NCAA decided to allow Lia to share the changing room without consulting other female swimmers.
Since then, Riley has gone on to oppose the inclusion of transgender athletes in competitions featuring biological female contestants. To substantiate her claims she put forward Lia’s time in the male competitions where she finished beyond the 450th spot. But, within a short time of competing in the female competitions, Lia started winning titles. Hence, Riley Gaines feels Lia’s inclusion is unfair to biological females.
Women’s Swimming Star @Riley_Gaines_ has been violently assaulted by TRANS Activists while giving a speech on women’s sports at San Francisco State University.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 7, 2023
A Transgender Male, wearing a dress, punched Riley repeatedly while the Trans Mob chased and harassed her until she… pic.twitter.com/3nkOOqDu3h
But Riley has also faced severe backlash for her opinions and the latest example of it came during her speech at San Francisco State University. In a video released on Twitter, Riley could be seen escorted to a secure place by security personnel present at the campus. An angry mob could also be seen chasing Gaines with chants of “Trans rights are human rights” and “Trans women are women.”
Riley Gaines claims she was assaulted at San Francisco University
Riley Gaines spoke to CNN after the incident. She described the horrifying situation she found herself in during the alleged altercation.
She said, “I was physically assaulted by one person. I was struck twice, both times hitting my shoulder with the second strike grazing my face… The rest of the protestors just ambushed and cornered me before I was able to move out with the help of campus police.”
After the incident, University Police Department revealed that they had to take Riley Gaines to a “safe location” following a disruption that occurred at the end of the event in which Riley Gaines took part. They further elaborated that they are currently conducting an investigation on the matter. Following the incident, she received a lot of support online.
Controversial professor, Jordan Peterson, also came out in Gaines’ favor and added, “Hey, progressives: how does it feel to be supporting men dressed up as women beating women?”
Hey, progressives: how does it feel to be supporting men dressed up as women beating women? https://t.co/SwlJ0kBkOP
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) April 7, 2023
Riley herself was very touched by all the support she received from her fan base. As far as the investigation goes, it remains to be seen if Gaines’ claims turn out to be true or not. So what is your take on the alleged assault? Let us know in the comments down below.