Simone Biles Defends Trans Athletes Against Riley Gaines’s Attacks

Simone Biles has long spoken out for what she believes in, and when it came to trans athletes, she didn’t hold back. After former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines targeted a transgender high school athlete in Minnesota, Biles fired back, calling her “sick” and a “sore loser.” Her message was clear: bullying young athletes under the guise of fairness won’t go unanswered.

Gaines’s complaint wasn’t subtle. She accused the softball team of “hijacking” the championship because their pitcher was transgender. She framed the win as illegitimate. But Biles pushed back, standing up for trans athletes and urging support instead of scapegoating. Her words didn’t just defend one player—they challenged a growing movement to exclude trans youth from women’s sports entirely.

@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender… https://t.co/pjpzuZ0AlO

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) June 6, 2025

Related | Simone Biles Champions Young Black Gymnast Ignored by Gymnastics Ireland

Simone Biles Champions Compassion Over Punishment

Biles has always carried more than just gold medals. Her career has been shaped by a willingness to challenge silence and stigma, whether she was speaking about mental health or the pressure on young athletes. This time, her focus was on fairness, not just in competition, but in how society treats people trying to belong.

Rather than demonizing trans athletes, Biles called for compassion and inclusion. She acknowledged the complexity of sports policy while urging that trans youth deserve dignity. Her response reflected a broader vision—one that makes space for everyone without scapegoating the few. She emphasized creating space in sports that supports all athletes, including trans youth, without exclusion or erasure.

Related | Coco Gauff Didn’t Hold Back After Sabalenka Tried to Undermine Her French Open Win

Riley Gaines Pushes Division Disguised as Fairness

Riley Gaines has built a brand on exclusion. After tying with Lia Thomas in a 2022 NCAA race, Gaines claimed she felt “cheated” and “violated.” Since then, she has aligned herself with conservative political movements and laws aimed at banning transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports. Her reaction to the Minnesota softball team was not new—it was part of a campaign.

Embed from Getty Images

Gaines did not just express concern. She used terms like “male-apologist” to insult Biles and questioned the legitimacy of the entire championship. Her framing wasn’t about sportsmanship. It was about stirring fear. She claims to speak for women, but her arguments consistently rely on attacking others. She turns children into talking points and pits athletes against each other instead of asking what inclusion could look like in a changing world.

Related | Simone Biles Apologizes to Riley Gaines After Heated Clash Over Trans Athletes

Final Thoughts

The tension between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines goes far beyond a single championship game. It reflects a deeper struggle over inclusion, power, and who holds the right to decide what fairness looks like in sports. Gaines speaks in absolutes, pushing boundaries tighter. Biles urges us to make room. One argument isolates. The other imagines something bigger. In speaking out, Biles didn’t just back a teenager on the mound—she showed that real champions defend more than titles. They defend people.