On January 15, 2025, Riley Gaines, a former NCAA athlete, expressed her discontent with the Democratic Party after only two of their members voted in favor of a new law aimed at banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act passed the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, with a vote of 218-206, but the bill’s passing was marred by the lack of widespread support among Democrats.
The Controversial Law and the Vote Breakdown
The law, which restricts participation in women’s sports to those assigned female at birth, has sparked intense debate.
The bill passed primarily with Republican support, while only two Democrats—Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez—joined in favor.
North Carolina Representative Don Davis voted “present,” and the rest of the Democratic Party voted against the bill.
In the aftermath of the vote, Gaines, who has been leading a lawsuit against the NCAA over its policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s events, did not hold back her criticism.
She accused the 206 Democrats who voted against the bill of being “shameful” and disregarding the concerns of female athletes.
Gaines’ Scathing Remarks Against Opponents
Gaines, 24, passionately spoke out, accusing Democrats of spreading fearmongering and false narratives.
“We heard of things like genital exams, we heard that girls would be asked to show what’s in their underwear, we heard that they would have to show internal and external anatomy, inspections,” she said. “But that’s what Democrats do best.”
She also slammed those who called the bill “a waste of time,” saying that such comments made it clear that girls and their athletic opportunities were being dismissed as unimportant.
As a spokeswoman for the Independent Women’s Forum, Gaines has become an outspoken advocate for protecting women’s sports.
Her public stance is rooted in her personal experience competing against Lia Thomas, the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship in March 2022. Gaines tied with Thomas for fifth place in that competition.
Republican Supporters Join Gaines in Criticism
Other political figures also voiced their disapproval of the Democratic stance.
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed disappointment, stating, “We had two Democrats join us, but it’s shameful, there should be many, many more.”
He argued that the American people had voted for common sense in the previous election and that the refusal to support the bill was a political decision rather than one based on the well-being of female athletes.
Representative Greg Steube, who reintroduced the bill after a failed attempt in 2023, echoed Johnson’s remarks, saying, “It’s absolutely absurd that we actually have to pass a bill that says only women can be in women’s sports!” Steube emphasized that Democrats had long tried to push policies allowing biological men to compete in women’s collegiate sports.
The Debate on Transgender Athletes in Sports
The passing of this bill comes on the heels of President Biden’s 2022 executive order on preventing discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation, which included provisions on ensuring transgender individuals’ access to restrooms, locker rooms, and school sports.
The new bill, if passed into law, would ensure that transgender women can practice with women’s teams but would restrict their ability to compete in events based on their reproductive biology and genetics at birth.
This legislation has ignited heated discussions across the country on the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports and the implications for fairness and equality.
As the debate continues to unfold, the issue remains a deeply divisive one, with powerful arguments on both sides concerning the rights of transgender athletes and the protection of women’s opportunities in sports.
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