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Champion swimmer Riley Gaines, known for her vocal criticism of transgender athletes competing in categories aligned with their self-identified gender, experienced a violent attack at San Francisco State University (SFSU) following a speech on Thursday.
This is @Riley_Gaines_.
She got 2nd place behind transgender Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA swimming championships
Yesterday she was ambushed and assaulted by a man in a dress in San Francisco after delivering a speech on saving women’s sports
She never bent the knee
Patriot ?? pic.twitter.com/RWpz592B4q
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 7, 2023
Gaines was invited by Turning Point USA and the Leadership Institute to discuss women’s athletics and the potential inequalities faced by female competitors when competing against transgender opponents at an SFSU event. The former NCAA swimmer from the University of Kentucky reportedly had to take shelter in a room for three hours due to the aggressive behavior of student protesters.
On Thursday night, swimmer and women's sports advocate Riley Gaines was assaulted by radical trans activists during a Turning Point USA event at San Francisco State University.
After allegedly being physically assaulted by a protestor while she was escorted to a safe-room,… pic.twitter.com/oemX1m2G7S
— ?? Rich Howard ?? (@WylieGuide) April 7, 2023
Gaines’s husband, Louis Barker, told Fox News that his wife was assaulted multiple times by a man in a dress. He expressed his frustration and concern over the incident. Gaines shared video footage on Twitter of the tumultuous scene on campus, with trans activists confronting her as security attempted to escort the 12-time All-America swimmer to safety.
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.
A Transgender Male, wearing a dress, punched Riley repeatedly while the Trans Mob chased and harassed her until she… pic.twitter.com/3nkOOqDu3h
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 7, 2023
In her tweet, Gaines highlighted the need for sex-protected spaces for women and encouraged others to speak louder when facing attempts to silence them. Additional footage taken by protesters revealed a crowd of students and press demanding payment for Gaines’s release from the room where she sought refuge.
Gaines garnered national attention for her criticism of male swimmers competing as women, specifically mentioning Lia Thomas. At the 2022 NCAA women’s championship, Gaines tied with Thomas in the 200-yard freestyle event and subsequently shared the concerns of female athletes. Gaines received appreciation from Thomas’s teammates for speaking out on the issue.
The prisoners are running the asylum at SFSU…I was ambushed and physically hit twice by a man. This is proof that women need sex-protected spaces.
Still only further assures me I'm doing something right. When they want you silent, speak louder. ?? pic.twitter.com/uJW3x9RERf
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 7, 2023
In early March, Gaines criticized a court decision that required USA Powerlifting to allow transgender athletes to compete based on self-identification. She emphasized the impact of testosterone on performance, strength, and outcomes, arguing that ignoring the differences between men and women is a denial of science.
WATCH: @Riley_Gaines_ calls out the major hypocrisy happening in women’s powerlifting, along with the movement in Congress to protect female athletes, and the fact that it doesn’t take a biologist to understand what a woman is. ??? pic.twitter.com/itqE5N9pAh
— Independent Women's Voice (@IWV) March 10, 2023
Throughout the night, the student newspaper released a series of clips documenting the chaotic events.
A Violent Mob of TRANS Activists chase & attack Women’s Swimming Star @Riley_Gaines_ and force her to take shelter in a locked room.
Riley was at San Francisco State University for a speech on Protecting Women in Sports. She was also punched repeatedly by a man in a dress.… pic.twitter.com/krPqLUD5O2
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 7, 2023
This is kidnapping. @Riley_Gaines_ should pursue felony charges against every single person in that hallway. They all should be expelled and thrown in prison. There is nothing ambiguous about this. Harassment, intimidation, kidnapping. Go after them, Riley. Make them pay. https://t.co/NJyFQ9gwYq
— The Honorable Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) April 7, 2023
