Riley Gaines reveals surprising reaction from liberal women over her advocacy
Former college championship swimmer Riley Gaines spoke with Fox News Digital on Capitol Hill after joining Republican lawmakers for the unveiling of their Women's Bill of Rights.
Riley Gaines, the former college championship swimmer who competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, said Wednesday that her advocacy in support of women’s sports has earned "amazing" support among liberals.
"I have gotten messages… from women and men who are lifelong liberals, who once prided themselves, especially women, on the original feminist movement, who are seeing what's happening with the Democrat party now," Gaines, a spokeswoman for Independent Women's Voice, told Fox News Digital.
"Just a few weeks ago, all [Democrats] in the U.S. House voted ‘no’ on protecting women and girls in sports," Gaines said. "And these women, they're seeing this and they're fed up."
"The amount of support that I've had from liberal women who, again, consider themselves feminists, is amazing. These are women who are sick of their own party. These representatives are not listening to their constituents, and these women have had enough," said Gaines.
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Riley Gaines said Wednesday that her advocacy in support of women’s sports has earned "amazing" support among liberals. (Reuters/Go Nakamura)
Gaines also accused Democrats in Washington of "ignoring" women over the Biden administration’s pro-transgender inclusion policies in schools.
"The people in charge, the governing bodies, the representatives, the senators, especially on the left, they are ignoring the demands of women," Gaines said. "We're asking for the bare minimum. We want fairness, we want privacy, we want safety, and we want respect, and they're ignoring that."
Gaines was on Capitol Hill for the unveiling of House Republicans’ Women Bill of Rights legislation. During a press conference Wednesday morning, she explained the bill would define the word "woman" in federal law in order to bolster other bills like the House’s recently passed Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.
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Gaines famously tied with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in an NCAA competition. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"It doesn't prevent any laws from being passed for any other protected group, it doesn't change any pre-existing laws. It simply defines the word ‘woman,’ codifies the term," she said.
As an example, she said the House-passed Fairness In Women's Sports Act was "phenomenal," but asked, "what longevity does it have if we can’t define the word ‘woman?’ And that's what this does. It gives longevity to bills such as the sports bill."
The House bill is unlikely to get through the Democrat-controlled Senate, and if it did, President Biden is likely to veto it. He said last month that he would veto the women’s sports bill if it came to his desk.
Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., the Women’s Bill of Rights’ lead sponsor, acknowledged this likelihood as she introduced Gaines.
Rep. Debbie Lesko is leading the bill in the 118th Congress.
"It's a frustrating place… We don't always get our legislation through, but this is really an important issue," Lesko said.
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Throughout the event, multiple Republicans called on Democrats to take up the bill.
"We call on the House, the Senate, and the Democrats who care about the future of women to come together and pass this bill," said Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla.
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