Riley Gaines responds to Katie Porter: 'Why is it always women fighting against sex-based protections?'
Porter and Piers Morgan sparred over Gaines on Bill Maher's show
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer who had a decorated career while at Kentucky, responded to Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., who spoke about Gaines' efforts to make sure women’s sports stays equal.
Porter appeared on "Real Time with Bill Maher" on Friday night and talked about Gaines’ fight and suggested she was using her platform just for clicks and attention. Porter and pundit Piers Morgan debated the notion, with Morgan defending the former swimmer.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. Katie Porter attends The Makers Conference at Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach on Oct. 25, 2022, in Dana Point, California. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Makers Conference)
"And by the way, Riley is speaking up for herself – and that is her prerogative and I respect her free speech," Porter said, as Morgan maintained that Gaines was "speaking up for every female athlete in the world."
Gaines responded to Porter on Saturday in a tweet, explaining that she’s diverted her own career path to take up the cause and keep women’s sports equal.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines swims the 200 butterfly prelims at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 19, 2022 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"Hey @RepKatiePorter I'm not speaking up for myself...I'm done playing sports. I'm not fighting for me. I'm actually supposed to be in dental school this year. But I've changed my life plans because I see what's at stake if someone doesn't fight for the present and next generation," Gaines tweeted.
"Why is it always women fighting against sex-based protections? That will forever be beyond me."
Porter started the conversation by saying she disagreed with Gaines’ statements and sporting bodies should be the ones to determine whether transgender athletes get to compete against biological males or females. Morgan asked Porter what she disagreed with exactly, which started the likes and clicks conversation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. Katie Porter and Riley Gaines (Getty Images)
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Gaines has been at the forefront of the fight to keep transgender female athletes out of women’s sports on the basis of equality. Gaines tied with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in one event at the NCAA Championships last year – a result many maintain shouldn’t have happened in the first place.