Biles followed up on her initial post, saying “bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines_.”
What was the reaction?
Gaines responded to Biles’s post, calling it “disappointing.”
“It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces,” Gaines continued. “You can uplift men stealing championships in women’s sports with YOUR platform. Men don’t belong in women’s sports and I say that with my full chest.”
Gaines’s supporters rallied around the podcaster while she continued to post about Biles in the ensuing days, rounding up posts of people criticizing Biles, amplifying news clips about the feud, and posting a video saying Biles body shamed her. Gaines also compared Biles’s post to her testimony against Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor who was convicted of seven counts of criminal sexual conduct against athletes, including Biles. “All the horrific sexual abuse @Simone_Biles witnessed and spoke out against caused by one man, yet believes women should be forced to strip naked in front of men to validate the man’s feelings,” Gaines wrote. “You know how many gold medals you’d have if your ‘inclusive’ dream came true? Zero.”
Many came to Biles’s defense online, lauding her for defending trans athletes, decrying Gaines for bringing up abuse Biles endured, and noting that many male gymnasts are unable to achieve the skills Biles has pioneered.
Why did Simone Biles apologize?
On June 10, Biles posted an apology to X, saying she wants “empathy and respect” in athletics.
“I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for,” she wrote. “These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect. I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports. My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful. Individual athletes—especially kids—should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over. I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful.”
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What’s the bigger picture?
Trans youth’s rights have been under attack for years, but in recent months, young trans athletes have faced particular vitriol. After President Trump took office, he signed an executive order intended to ban trans youth from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. Teen Vogue‘s reporting found that at the high school level, that order targets 160 or fewer kids. In addition to Trump’s order, about half of all states have also passed bills or bans that exclude trans youth in sports.
