Riley Gaines would 'LOVE' to debate Megan Rapinoe on trans athletes days after 'faux feminist' jibe

Riley Gaines has welcomed a debate with trans activist Megan Rapinoe in a bid to have 'open dialogue' between two of the most high-profile figures on opposite sides of the trans in sports debate.

Gaines was attacked by radical trans activists while speaking at San Francisco State University last week and has continued to speak out against trans women, otherwise known as biological women, competing in women's sports.

The former University of Kentucky swimmer, who competed with transgender woman - formerly the University of Pennsylvania men's swimmer William Thomas, now known as Lia Thomas - has repeatedly criticized former USWNT star, Rapinoe in recent days. Now, Gaines has agreed to the idea of direct discourse with her following a proposal from Republican 2024 Presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy.   

'Absolutely, this is a call for it,' Gaines told Ramaswamy on The Vivek Show. 'I would love to, I'm in. In my experience at San Francisco this past week, in trying to have this open dialogue, I was met with ambush, I mean violence, I was barricaded in a room for three hours. 

'They were trying to negotiate a ransom deal. If I wanted to make it home safely, I had to pay them. That's what I am being met with. So, it's so hard to get in front of people you disagree with you, if they're not willing to listen. 

Ex-DI athlete Riley Gaines joined 2024 Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Wednesday 

Gaines (R) competed against biological man, now known as Lia Thomas, in NCAAW Swimming

'We need more civil, respectful ways to have dialogue. I think it's so important.' 

On Wednesday, Gaines condemned Rapinoe for the second day running while also highlighting the hypocrisy of tennis great Billie Jean King for her support of trans participation in sports despite her historical fight for women in sports.

While speaking with Ramaswamy, Gaines explained her theory as to why there has been an increase in both transgender people and their participation in sports in recent years. 

'I've done a lot of thinking about what the ulterior motive is,' she said. "Why? Why is this happening at such an alarming, rampant rate?" My first observation is it seems as if everyone wants to be a victim; which is a very weird approach to have.

'Everyone wants to, in some way, become a marginalized group. Everyone wants to be oppressed. They want to be victims. At first, it struck me, "Why? Why would someone want to view themselves as marginalized?" 

'And I think it's because when you become this "oppressed" group, you typically have less responsibility. You have less accountability, and truthfully what I've noticed about this trans movement is a lot of the times, it's white men transitioning. Of course, we know white men have never been looked at as this "oppressed" group and so, it's a way for white men to become oppressed.'

While expressing those suffering from gender dysphoria should be treated with empathy, Gaines highlighted an inarguable difference between the likes of Dylan Mulvaney and those who are biological women.  

'We're more than just the hair, the makeup and a testosterone level. Women are more than just a testosterone level - there's so much more that goes in to being a woman. 

Rapinoe was part of the World Cup winning USWNT who lost to an U15 academy team in 2015

'Even if men could get to the same level of woman, which they can't, there are still advantages that won't go away that are particularly noticeable in sports.'

The NCAA 'calls for one year of testosterone suppression treatment' before a trans woman, such as Thomas, can compete with biological woman. The sole other criteria is to provide 'a one-time serum testosterone level that falls below the maximum allowable level for the sport in which the student-athlete is competing within four weeks of championship selections for that sport.'

Gaines took issue with the approach to affirm 'mental health problems' suffered by gender-confused people through life-altering surgery, analogizing it to other dysphoria-centered mental illnesses such as anorexia.

'Think about the anorexia movement that was in the 90s. These women who suffered from anorexia, did we affirm them by telling them they were in fact fat? No! And that's not something you would do because it's harmful.

'Of course, [those people] believed they were fat a lot of the times, but they're not. So, this is the same thing that's happening now with this whole trans movement. 

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines implied Megan Rapinoe was a hypocrite

'It's terrifying that doctors and medical professionals are being so negligent to do this and I think we know why.'

Gaines went as far as to suggest transgender surgeries were something of a money-making scheme, referencing a Vanderbilt University Medical Center hospital doctor who boasted about the financial rewards in a 2018 video to support her argument.

The scandalous video was posted to social media by The Daily Wire's Matt Walsh in October and showed Dr Shayne Taylor - an LGBTQ specialist at the hospital - touting transgender surgeries as 'huge money makers' for the hospital.

'Some of our VUMC financial folks in October of 2016 put down some costs of how much money we think each patient would bring in,' Taylor can be heard saying.

'And this is only including top surgery, this isn't including any bottom surgery, and it's a lot of money.'

President Joe Biden caused controversy last week after his administration proposed a ruling which would forbid schools and colleges across the U.S. from banning transgender athletes from sports which align with their identities as opposed to their biological gender.

Dr. Shayne Taylor, a physician at the VUMC Clinic for Transgender Health, was recorded talking about the lucrative finances of transgender surgeries