The movement towards transgender athletes in women and girls' sports is supported by the majority of Americans, powerful politicians, and even the niche consumer market. Now, one of the movement's leaders is seeking reinforcements that use several big stars.
Former NCAA swimmer and conservative influencer Riley Gaines is one of the movement's most active supporters, dating back to her infamous tie with transgender Swimmeria Thomas at the 2022 NCAA Championship. In 2024, Gaines became the first brand ambassador for activist sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics.
The brand has achieved prominence and profitability by becoming the first sportswear company dedicated to promoting women's activities to inclusion in transgender people in sports. It also created economic incentives to represent the issue by women's university athletes across the country signing with the brand.
Gaines believes the two stars will help drive brands and movements to new heights.
“Of course, those who think are important to this movement are people like Caitlyn Clark, Simone Biles. I think this is definitely stretch, but these are women who have been able to break the glass ceiling and break the barriers that are role models for young girls across the nation.”
“To get them to emphasize them [trans athletes] Do not belong to women's sports. The problem is resolved at all levels, like yesterday, if you were willing to do this. ”
Gaines said it appears to be “out of reach” because of the cultural change between Americans to protect women and girls from transgender athletes.
XX-XY founder Jennifer Sey, former US gymnast and Levi executive Jennifer Sey addressed Gaines' pitch to Clark and Biles in a statement from Fox News Digital.
“We are constantly encouraging more female athletes to join the fight, and we want to work with people who are standing up for the integrity of women's sports. We are constantly talking to people who have stood up or are considering doing so,” Sei said. “I believe this will be over if athletes defend a lot of women's sports.”
Sey previously told Fox Business that her brand surpassed seven-figure profits in the first 10 months of 2024, but believes her brand lacks superstar female athletes as brand ambassadors.
“There are no top-notch competitive female athletes or coaches who have stood up to protect women's sports,” Say said.
“We don't have the highest level athletes who are currently competing, and I think that's an example of how far we have to go. It's normal for them to stand up and say, 'I'm fighting for the protection of women's sports,' but even so, they don't think they're afraid that a lot of them will be called bad names. ”
Gaines and Say say the brand “speaks” with prominent female athletes, including the Olympian.
“They're part of the work and they have conversations with a lot of great athletes, Olympic athletes and more,” Gaines said.
recently New York Times/Ipsos Survey The vast majority of Americans, including the vast majority of Democrats, have discovered that they do not believe that trans athletes should be allowed to compete in women's sports.
“Thinking about transgender female athletes – meaning athletes who were male at birth but now identify as female – should or should not be allowed to compete in women's sports?” the survey asked.
Of the 2,128 participants, 79% identified as women, biological men, said they should not be allowed to participate in female sports.
Of the 1,025 identified as Democrats or Democrats they rely on, 67% said trans athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.
Almost 70% of Americans say that biological men should not be allowed to compete in female sports. Gallup vote last year.
June 2024, survey NORC conducts at the University of Chicago We asked respondents whether transgender athletes of both sexes should be allowed to participate in sports leagues that correspond to their preferred gender identity instead of biological sex. In that survey, 65% said it was never allowed or should rarely be allowed. When people who voted specifically were asked about adult transgender female athletes competing in women's sports, 69% opposed it.
However, resistance to women's conflicting trans inclusion in sports has also induced harassment and even crime against athletes involved in the movement, including the XX-XY Athletics Brand Ambassadors.
Former San Jose State women's volleyball co-captain Brooks Slisser told Fox News Digital that she had to leave after signing with her school and the NCAA after threatening her beliefs, citing her experience with transgender teammate Blair Fleming in the fall.
Melissa Batie-Smoose, former SJSU assistant coach at Slusser, appeared in XX-XY Athletics' recent “We See You NCAA” ad, where she took a home shot in February, and believes she targeted her against university's Fleming's favor.
“What we see from the other side is crazy,” Gaines said. “But it doesn't have the chokehold it once did.”
