‘I believe it starts with empathy and respect’: Simone Biles refuses to dismount from her perfectly executed callout of Riley Gaines’ transphobia tour

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles has issued a clarifying statement following her weekend criticism of conservative activist Riley Gaines regarding transgender athletes in sports.

The 28-year-old gymnast had initially called Gaines a “sore loser” and “truly sick” after the former swimmer commented on a transgender athlete’s participation in a high school softball championship.

According to People, the controversy began when Gaines, 25, made comments about Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender athlete who helped her team win the Minnesota State High School League softball championship with a shutout performance. Similar legal challenges are being seen in college sports, such as the SJSU volleyball case. Gaines had written on social media platform X, “Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.”

In response to these remarks, Biles strongly criticized Gaines, but later offered a more measured perspective, stating “I believe it starts with empathy and respect.” She acknowledged that getting personal with Gaines was unhelpful and apologized for her approach, while emphasizing that the current system doesn’t adequately balance competitive equity and inclusivity in sports.

Biles clarifies her stance on transgender athletes in women’s sports

The Olympic champion made it clear that she was not advocating for policies that would compromise fairness in women’s sports. Instead, she expressed concern about singling out individual athletes, particularly children, for public criticism over systemic issues they cannot control.

Biles emphasized that sports organizations bear the responsibility of developing rules that support both inclusion and fair competition. That debate mirrors the broader fight over NCAA policy under Title IX. She highlighted the complexity of the issue, admitting she doesn’t have all the answers to these sensitive and complicated matters.

In her clarifying statement posted on X, Biles stressed the importance of finding a balance between competitive equity and inclusivity in sports. She suggested that the current discourse often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, which ultimately doesn’t serve to address the underlying issues.

The decorated gymnast concluded her statement by expressing her vision for the future of sports, stating that she wants it to be fair, inclusive, and respectful. This incident highlights the ongoing debate about transgender participation in sports, particularly at the youth level, and the challenges of maintaining both competitive fairness and inclusivity in athletic competition.