Former college swimmer Riley Gaines held nothing back during Wednesday’s Senate hearing on “Protecting Pride: Defending the Civil Rights of LGBTQ+ Americans.”
Gaines appeared at the hearing as a spokesperson for Independent Women’s Voice and subsequently went viral for an exchange with Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson. The exchange began when Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy asked Robinson whether she believes biological males have a physical advantage over biological females in sports.
“Not as a definitive statement,” Robinson replied.
“Give me an example,” Kennedy pressed. “How many female members of the NBA do you see?”
To defend her statement, Robinson cited an unspecified news article (maybe this one?) in which men claimed they could beat tennis star Serena Williams in a match, or at least score a point against her. “And it’s just not the case,” Robinson replied. “She is stronger than them.”
Kennedy then turned to Gaines, and asked her the same question.
“Both Serena and Venus [Williams] lost to the 203rd ranked male tennis player,” she replied. In 1998, 203rd-ranked male player Karsten Braasch beat the Williams sisters in back-to-back matches, defeating Serena 6-1 and Venus 6-2. Before the match, Braasch played a round of golf and drank multiple beers, and he claimed afterward that he’d intentionally held back.
Dem witness: “There’s been this news article about men that think they can beat Serena Williams in tennis. And it’s just not the case. She is stronger than them.” @Riley_Gaines_: “Both Serena and Venus lost to the 203rd ranked male tennis player.” pic.twitter.com/MSAnV6IA5t
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 21, 2023
Gaines also cited the example of her husband, who also swam at a collegiate level. Though Gaines was ranked higher than her husband and performed better against women than he did against men, he could still “kick my butt any day of the week,” she said. (RELATED: ‘Slap In The Face’: Daily Caller’s Kay Smythe Rips Lia Thomas’ ‘Woman Of The Year’ Nomination)
The video went viral on Twitter, gaining almost a million views within a few hours of being shared.