- Sports. Simone Biles hangs out with another athlete at a hotel while Jonathan Owens works hard in Chicago
- Sports. Patrick Mahomes wants his teammates awake as he begins to come up with impossible plays without Travis Kelce
When Simone Biles speaks, the sports world pays attention. And this week, she took aim at Riley Gaines, the conservative activist known for campaigning against transgender athletes.
The clash began when Gaines condemned a transgender high school softball player, Marissa Rothenberger, for competing in the Minnesota Girls' State Championship.
"Another state championship hijacked by a team with a boy," Gaines wrote on X, misgendering the athlete.
"You're a shameful coward, @GovTimWalz."
Biles swiftly responded with a blunt retort:? "Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male," she posted.
In a second message, Biles took direct aim at Gaines' motivations.?"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 athletes feel safe. Maybe a transgender category in ALL sports!!?But instead... You bully them.?One thing's for sure: no one in sports is safe with you around!"
Gaines responds by using Biles' past against her
Rather than addressing Biles' criticism, Gaines responded by posting footage of Biles' emotional 2021 testimony before Congress about surviving sexual abuse at the hands of Larry Nassar.
"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."
The reaction online was swift, with many calling Gaines' response a manipulative and deeply inappropriate attempt to weaponize a survivor's trauma for political gain.
Gaines later issued a statement reaffirming her stance:
"I hope Larry Nassar rots in prison. Gymnasts were failed by a system that protected an abusive man. Men don't belong in women's sports. Female athletes are being failed again."
However, critics argued she had gone too far. Biles never equated trans athletes with predators. Her message was about inclusion and , not erasure. And in choosing to invoke Biles' pain rather than engage with her points, Gaines only highlighted the cruelty underlying her message.
The core of Biles' argument - that targeting trans athletes is a form of bullying masquerading as fairness - remains unaddressed. And for many, that speaks volumes.