Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines slammed the NCAA on Wednesday for allowing biological males to use female locker rooms in order to accommodate transgender athletes. Gaines, who gained attention for her previous comments regarding male swimmers competing against females, spoke out against the NCAA’s policy during a committee hearing. She specifically referred to a 6’4″ male athlete, Lia Thomas from Penn, whom she said exposed male genitalia in the presence of female swimmers.
Gaines stated that she and her female teammates were made to share a locker room without their consent, emphasizing the discomfort and violation of privacy they experienced. When Gaines raised concerns about the regulation, she was informed by an NCAA administrator that all locker rooms at the championship were gender neutral.
Gaines highlighted the pressure faced by women to remain silent on such issues and the multitude of labels, including transphobic and homophobic, that are hurled at those who express their concerns.
Gaines revealed that her team only discovered they would be changing alongside a male when they witnessed a male undressing while they were in the process of changing. She raised the issue of potential safety risks, stating that any man could have entered their locker room.
In response to criticism from Chairman Dick Durbin, a Democratic senator from Illinois, Gaines emphasized impact of the NCAA’s policies on women and young girls, suggesting that their rights to privacy and safety were being disregarded. Gaines also criticized the NCAA for failing to protect female athletes and argued that they appeared to avoid accountability by deferring to other sports regulatory organizations.
