Riley Gaines speaks at Turning Point USA event at Slippery Rock University
SLIPPERY ROCK — Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer and controversial public figure advocating against transgender women’s participation in women’s sports, spoke at Slippery Rock University on Wednesday evening, Oct. 30.
The event, part of the “Take Back Title IX” tour, was hosted by Turning Point USA’s SRU chapter.
Gaines competed in the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships. She gained notoriety when, in the NCAA 200-yard freestyle championship, she tied in fifth place with Lia Thomas, a transgender woman swimming for the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas began her collegiate career on the men’s team at Penn, before transitioning and undergoing hormone therapy, and finishing her career on the women’s team.
Gaines since then has become a public figure, hosting a podcast called Gaines for Girls and frequently commenting on political issues on X.
Gaines said she came to Slippery Rock because she wants to visit states with key election races — “both in terms of who we get in the White House and the Senate,” Gaines said.
“I’m just here to be a voice, and it’s been really well received,” Gaines said.
Gaines described her positions and message as pro-transparency, pro-privacy, pro-safety, pro-equal opportunity, pro-fairness and pro-woman.
When The Rocket, SRU’s student newspaper, first reported that Gaines would be holding an event on campus, it was met with criticism from LGBTQ+ students and allies, with concerns over issues such as Gaines potentially spreading misinformation and creating a boogeyman out of trans women in women’s sports that distracts from other issues that women’s sports face.
Emily Keener, a psychology professor, also pointed out the issue of transphobic language, adding that “gender affirmation does save lives.”
Gaines shrugged off this criticism by expressing a desire for them to listen to her message.
“First, I would love for them to come to the event,” Gaines said. “A lot of times they’ll stand outside, not willing to listen to what I have to say, so I would love for them to be in the room and hear me out for a more extended period of time. But to be pretty frank, my message is not rooted in hate; it’s not rooted in fear. It’s not based in any sort of discriminatory practice. It’s not anti-anything; it’s not anti-anyone. It’s a stand that is for something.”
During the event, she criticized the current presidential administration and the Democratic Party, saying that they have allowed Title IX to no longer be enforceable. She cited her belief in the Bible as guiding her on knowing the difference between a man and a woman.
Gaines criticized the NCAA for letting Thomas in the women’s locker rooms. Thomas had, by this point in time, undergone hormone replacement therapy and was eligible to compete in the events.
Allison Mahonski, president of Turning Point USA at SRU, said the Gaines event has gotten a mixed response from the student body and community, and while a lot of people were interested, there has been quite a lot of criticism.
“Turning Point is an organization that prides itself in freedom of speech. (Gaines) has been all over the news, but even if you disagree with what she says and what she stands for, there’s a place for discourse. That’s the core of what we’re trying to do,” said Vinny Cavolario, press secretary of Turning Point USA’s chapter at SRU.
