Riley Gaines blasts NCAA as 'cowards' over trans athlete policies amid calls for change: 'Disheartening'
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines is holding strong to her criticism of the NCAA for its leaders' reluctance to meet with female athletes who say they have been adversely affected by policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports, and for taking a more passive approach to the issue than she believes is essential.
"In 2010, they implemented a blanket policy for all sports. [Saying that after] 12 months of HRT hormone replacement therapy, you could compete in the category that aligns with your gender identity. Now, what the NCAA is doing is they're in a phase-out approach. Essentially, they want nothing to do with the policy, which shows how cowardly, really they are," Gaines told "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Will Cain on Sunday.
RILEY GAINES HAND-DELIVERS LETTER DEMANDING NCAA MEET WITH ATHLETES ‘ADVERSELY AFFECTED’ BY TRANS POLICIES
Riley Gaines discussed the demand letter and petition she handed over to the organization. (Fox & Friends Weekend/Screengrab)
"It shows they know this is wrong, and now they're leaving it up to each specific sport to make rules for that sport."
Gaines, along with Olympians, coaches and other NCAA athletes, met with organizational officials at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix to hand-deliver a demand letter urging the officials to meet with female athletes said to be affected by trans athletes participating in women's sports.
The group also handed over a related petition said to have over 70,000 signatures.
Gaines told Cain the group of protesters at the convention made the same demands last year.
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"We went back this year to do the exact same thing, because, over the course of this past year, the NCAA hasn't changed their policies and, as mentioned, women continue to be discriminated against on the basis of our sex," she said.
"The people I delivered, the people on the governing board who had delivered the petition and the letter to me, even look me in the eyes, which is pretty disheartening as a female athlete…"
Gaines previously noted her hope to meet with NCAA President Charlie Baker, who assumed the role in March 2023, to have discussions surrounding the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's events.
"I know President Baker testified before the Senate a few weeks ago that changes are being made and that changes have been made, but that’s not what we’re seeing. We’re still seeing the NCAA continue to discriminate against women on the basis of our sex. It’s happening in just about every sport, every level, every division, every state — that’s why we’re here," she said last week.
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Riley Gaines gives a speech at Penn State. (Riley Gaines)
Baker testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in October and was pressed on the issue of transgender athletes being allowed in women's locker rooms.
"I'm not going to defend what happened in 2022," he said. "I wasn't there. I was still governor of the commonwealth. What I will say is, we have very specific rules and standards around the safety and security of all our student athletes, and anyone who hosts one of our national championships has to accept that they know what they are and then abide by them accordingly."
"I don't believe that policy would be the policy we would use today," he added.
"Fox & Friends Weekend" reached out to the NCAA for a statement, but did not receive a response in time for the segment.
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Fox News' Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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