{"id":7096,"date":"2025-06-10T05:55:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T05:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/archives\/7096"},"modified":"2025-06-10T05:55:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T05:55:59","slug":"simone-biles-slammed-after-disrespectful-comment-about-transgender-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/?p=7096","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udd25 Olympic icon Simone Biles has found herself at the center of a firestorm after publicly taking on former swimmer Riley Gaines (\ud835\ude41\ud835\ude50\ud835\ude47\ud835\ude47 \ud835\ude4e\ud835\ude4f\ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude4d\ud835\ude54 \ud835\ude3d\ud835\ude40\ud835\ude47\ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude52)\ud83e\udd38\ud83c\udffd\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83c\udfca\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffb"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"show-inline-featured-image wp-caption alignnone\">\n<figure class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                                    <img width=\"664\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles-664x350.jpg\" class=\"attachment-main-thumbnail size-main-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" classes=\"inline-featured-image\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles-664x350.jpg 664w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles-400x210.jpg 400w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles-412x216.jpg 412w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px\"\/><\/p>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<p><strong>Olympic icon Simone Biles has found herself at the center of a firestorm after publicly taking on former swimmer and conservative activist Riley Gaines in a fiery exchange on X. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>It all started with what was supposed to be a celebration. The Minnesota State High School League posted a proud photo of Champlin Park\u2019s softball team after they won the Class AAAA State Championship. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>But instead of support, the post sparked controversy \u2014 and eventually, a full-blown social media clash between two sports powerhouses.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-riley-gaines-stirs-the-pot\">Riley Gaines stirs the pot<\/h2>\n<p>Former NCAA swimmer and OutKick host <a href=\"https:\/\/en.newsner.com\/news\/trans-athlete-hits-back-at-critics-after-winning-track-and-field-championship-again\/\">Riley Gaines<\/a> is never one to hold back when it comes to transgender athletes \u2014 and now she\u2019s swinging hard once again.<\/p>\n<p>Last Friday, the Minnesota State High School League shared a celebratory photo of Champlin Park\u2019s softball team after their Class AAAA State Championship win. But beneath the post, Riley Gaines \u2014 a vocal critic of trans inclusion in women\u2019s sports \u2014 sparked controversy with her comment:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cComments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"\/>\n<p>Her remark immediately lit a match. Critics accused her of mocking the team and targeting a transgender player, though no names were mentioned in the post.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-simone-biles-fires-back\">Simone Biles fires back<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.newsner.com\/tag\/simone-biles\/\">Simone Biles<\/a> wasn\u2019t having it. The most decorated gymnast in history quote-tweeted Gaines, writing: <\/p>\n<div class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\" id=\"newsner-571931058\">\n<p><script class=\"wp-rocket-ignore\"><![CDATA[\n\tyieldWrapper.cmd.push(function() {\n\t\tyieldWrapper.defineSlot({\n\t\t\tid: \"ad-modul_intext_171179_1\",\n\t\t\tadType: 'intext',\n\t\t\ttargeting: {\n\t\t\t\tpagePath: '\/news\/simone-biles-slammed-after-disrespectful-comment-about-transgender-athletes\/',pageTitle: 'Simone Biles slammed after &#8216;disrespectful&#8217; comment about transgender athletes',pageCategory: 'News',pageLanguage: 'en_US',pageAttributes: [\"Riley Gaines\", \"Simone Biles\", \"transgender\"],pageType: 'post',\t\t\t}\n\t\t});\n\t});\n]]><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201c@Riley_Gaines_ You\u2019re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biles didn\u2019t stop there. She went on to accuse Gaines of bullying transgender athletes instead of advocating for inclusion. \u201cIf you really cared, you\u2019d be working on creating safe and fair categories,\u201d Biles added. \u201cInstead, you\u2019re just making it worse for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biles\u2019 strong stance immediately divided the internet.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters cheered her for speaking up: <\/p>\n<p>\u201dThis is real leadership. Thank you for standing up Simone and everyone else supporting her,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Leenintome2\/status\/1931176410804015600\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">one fan said<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Another person expressed admiration for Biles, writing, \u201dI did not know it was humanly possible to respect someone more than I already respected you, you are just truly a class act! 100% of the time The Goat of Goats!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the backlash was just as fierce.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-153390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles-400x210.jpg 400w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles-768x403.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles-412x216.jpg 412w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/08\/06164140\/simone-biles-664x350.jpg 664w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty Images <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201dWow, this response is truly unbelievable and completely disappointing to read. [\u2026] Simone called Riley a bully but the words you\u2019ve chosen, as an Olympian &amp; role model, are disrespectful to her &amp; rude,\u201d one person <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Christina3G\/status\/1931312111998681351\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">wrote<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\" id=\"newsner-65893374\">\n<p><script class=\"wp-rocket-ignore\"><![CDATA[\n\tyieldWrapper.cmd.push(function() {\n\t\tyieldWrapper.defineSlot({\n\t\t\tid: \"ad-modul_intext_171179_2\",\n\t\t\tadType: 'intext',\n\t\t\ttargeting: {\n\t\t\t\tpagePath: '\/news\/simone-biles-slammed-after-disrespectful-comment-about-transgender-athletes\/',pageTitle: 'Simone Biles slammed after &#8216;disrespectful&#8217; comment about transgender athletes',pageCategory: 'News',pageLanguage: 'en_US',pageAttributes: [\"Riley Gaines\", \"Simone Biles\", \"transgender\"],pageType: 'post',\t\t\t}\n\t\t});\n\t});\n]]><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>Another person added, \u201cDisappointed to see this. But how easy it is to salt the earth behind you as you exit the sport and ensure future women won\u2019t be able to achieve what you did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Others were even more blunt in their disappointment. One user wrote, \u201cAnd just like that, you are no longer a role model for little girls,\u201d while another commented, \u201cSad what has become of you Simone. Very sad\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-gaines-claps-back-again\">Gaines claps back \u2013 again<\/h2>\n<p>Never one to stay silent, Gaines took to Instagram with a lengthy response. She accused Biles of \u201cbody shaming\u201d and \u201cmaking things personal,\u201d referring to a now-deleted tweet where Biles reportedly said:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gaines called out what she saw as hypocrisy, pointing to the fact that Biles herself had once been body-shamed for her athletic physique \u2014 only now to be using someone\u2019s body as a punchline.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2164\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/06\/09130816\/riely2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-171185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/06\/09130816\/riely2-scaled.jpg 2164w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/06\/09130816\/riely2-768x909.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/06\/09130816\/riely2-1298x1536.jpg 1298w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/06\/09130816\/riely2-1731x2048.jpg 1731w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2164px) 100vw, 2164px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/6\/63\/Riley_Gaines_%2852941685516%29_%28cropped%29.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Riley Gaines \/ Wikipedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-battle-of-values\">A battle of values<\/h2>\n<p>The deeper issue at play isn\u2019t just one tweet or one exchange \u2014 it\u2019s a growing national debate over transgender athletes in women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n<p>Gaines, a 12-time All-American swimmer and graduate of the University of Kentucky, has become a leading voice for what she calls \u201cfairness and safety\u201d in women\u2019s athletics. Her activism took off in 2022 after tying with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the NCAA Championships \u2014 a moment she says \u201copened her eyes\u201d to the impact of current inclusion policies.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, Gaines has testified before Congress, worked with legal advocacy groups, and become a regular face on the front lines of the Title IX debate. Her supporters see her as a defender of women\u2019s rights. Her critics see her as a gatekeeper.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\" id=\"newsner-1276375911\">\n<p><script class=\"wp-rocket-ignore\"><![CDATA[\n\tyieldWrapper.cmd.push(function() {\n\t\tyieldWrapper.defineSlot({\n\t\t\tid: \"ad-modul_intext_171179_3\",\n\t\t\tadType: 'intext',\n\t\t\ttargeting: {\n\t\t\t\tpagePath: '\/news\/simone-biles-slammed-after-disrespectful-comment-about-transgender-athletes\/',pageTitle: 'Simone Biles slammed after &#8216;disrespectful&#8217; comment about transgender athletes',pageCategory: 'News',pageLanguage: 'en_US',pageAttributes: [\"Riley Gaines\", \"Simone Biles\", \"transgender\"],pageType: 'post',\t\t\t}\n\t\t});\n\t});\n]]><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ex-nfl-star-slams-simone-biles\">Ex-NFL star slams Simone Biles<\/h2>\n<p>Simone Biles has rarely stepped into political firestorms \u2014 until now. Her decision to wade into this debate has shocked many, especially those who looked up to her as a neutral role model. But to others, this is exactly what leadership looks like: using her platform to speak out for marginalized voices.<\/p>\n<p>Several well-known figures are now weighing in on the heated back-and-forth between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines \u2014 and not everyone\u2019s siding with the Olympic gymnast.<\/p>\n<p>Former NFL kicker-turned-politician Jay Feely <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jayfeely\/status\/1931485989610176542\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">stirred the pot<\/a> by claiming Biles wouldn\u2019t have taken home any Olympic medals if she had competed against transgender gymnasts. He also accused her of putting \u201cbiological females in dangerous and compromising situations\u201d with her stance on trans inclusion in women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1021\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/06\/09130721\/jai.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-171184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/06\/09130721\/jai.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/06\/09130721\/jai-768x980.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jay_Feely#\/media\/File:Jay_Feely_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Wikipedia Commons \/ Gage Skidmore<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick also threw her support behind Gaines. Weighing in on social media, she suggested Biles had been misled, saying the gymnast had been \u201cred pilled,\u201d a term often used to describe someone who\u2019s been fed distorted or misleading information.<\/p>\n<p>Patrick didn\u2019t hold back: \u201cThis issue has a shelf life. I truly believe common sense will prevail. But until then, I am grateful for people like Riley Gaines who are making sure no one gets away with it,\u201d she wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot to mention the fact that she actually lived it. Defending men in women\u2019s sports is the woke mind virus and\/or another issue that requires therapy. Either way, it is so irrational.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of which side you land on, one thing\u2019s clear \u2014 this isn\u2019t just a social media spat. It\u2019s a reflection of a larger, emotionally charged battle over identity, fairness, and the future of sports.<\/p>\n<p>And with big names like Biles and Gaines going head-to-head, that conversation isn\u2019t dying down anytime soon.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\" id=\"newsner-383063593\">\n<p><script class=\"wp-rocket-ignore\"><![CDATA[\n\tyieldWrapper.cmd.push(function() {\n\t\tyieldWrapper.defineSlot({\n\t\t\tid: \"ad-modul_intext_171179_4\",\n\t\t\tadType: 'intext',\n\t\t\ttargeting: {\n\t\t\t\tpagePath: '\/news\/simone-biles-slammed-after-disrespectful-comment-about-transgender-athletes\/',pageTitle: 'Simone Biles slammed after &#8216;disrespectful&#8217; comment about transgender athletes',pageCategory: 'News',pageLanguage: 'en_US',pageAttributes: [\"Riley Gaines\", \"Simone Biles\", \"transgender\"],pageType: 'post',\t\t\t}\n\t\t});\n\t});\n]]><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-read-more\">READ MORE<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"inline-share-buttons hide-on-print style2 \" aria-label=\"Share buttons\">\n        <a target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"return fbs_click(this, 400, 300)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com%2Fnews%2Fsimone-biles-slammed-after-disrespectful-comment-about-transgender-athletes%2F\" class=\"boxed-icon facebook\"><i class=\"fa fa-facebook\"\/><br \/>\n            Share        <\/a><br \/>\n        <a class=\"boxed-icon pinterest pinterest-share-button\" onclick=\"return pinterestShareHandler()\" style=\"line-height: 50px;\"><i class=\"fa fa-pinterest\" style=\"font-size: 30px\"\/><\/a><br \/>\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Olympic icon Simone Biles has found herself at the center of a firestorm after publicly taking on former swimmer and conservative activist Riley Gaines in a fiery exchange on X. &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7100,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7096"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7101,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7096\/revisions\/7101"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}