The culture war over transgender participation in women’s sports just escalated again—this time with two of America’s most recognizable female athletes trading blows in public.
Riley Gaines, the former NCAA All-American swimmer turned outspoken advocate for sex-based sports protections, has called out Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, accusing the gymnastics icon of “tarnishing her reputation” by siding with transgender inclusion in girls’ athletics.
The latest flashpoint? A viral story involving a biological male athlete who recently led a high school softball team to a state championship title—sparking nationwide outrage among conservative circles. Gaines, never one to shy away from controversy, condemned the win as “a mockery of women’s sports,” arguing that biological advantages are being ignored at the expense of fairness.
Simone Biles fired back in an Instagram story that shocked even some of her most loyal followers. Without naming names, Biles referred to critics of the athlete’s victory as “bullies hiding behind their version of fairness,” and later doubled down in a separate post: “Respect is earned through effort, not exclusion. Trans girls are girls.”
Gaines quickly responded during a televised appearance on Newsmax, saying, “Simone Biles just flipped her own legacy upside down. She’s a hero in the sport of gymnastics, but now she’s aligning herself with an ideology that erases the very women she claims to represent. Supporting biological males in women’s sports isn’t progressive—it’s regressive.”
The feud is igniting passionate responses across the political spectrum. Supporters of Biles are praising her for using her platform to advocate for inclusion and dignity, while critics accuse her of betraying the same female athletes whose opportunities she once championed.
“She was a role model to millions of young girls,” Gaines added. “Now she’s defending the very policies that will keep those girls off the podium.”
The incident highlights the growing divide between traditional definitions of fairness in sport and evolving ideas of gender identity. Gaines, who rose to national prominence after tying with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in a 2022 NCAA championship, has since become a polarizing political figure and frequent critic of what she calls “gender ideology infiltrating sports.”
Biles, known for her extraordinary athletic achievements and powerful advocacy on mental health, has recently become more vocal on social issues—sometimes drawing criticism for wading into highly polarized debates.
Neither athlete appears ready to back down, and their ongoing war of words is fueling a cultural debate that shows no signs of slowing.
As one commentator put it on X: “Riley and Simone aren’t just fighting each other. They’re fighting for the future of what ‘women’s sports’ even means.”
