Former UK swimmer Riley Gaines Barker speaks on transgender policies at republican dinner

MORGANFIELD, Ky. (WEHT) — On Tuesday night, former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines Barker was in Union County speaking at the Republican Party’s Lincoln Dinner. She’s made national headlines after criticizing Transgender athletes in women’s sports and touched on the policies during the event. The women’s sports activist is speaking on the question she says she hears often: “How did we get here?”.

“I can’t believe that we’re having this conversation when we have to publicly declare that men and women are different… boys and girls are different,” says Gaines.

The 12-time NCAA All-American spoke about her time as a Wildcat, what it takes to be an elite-level athlete and shared details about her decision to file a lawsuit against the NCAA. Gaines, and 15 other athletes, feel the organization violated a law that protects them against sex-based discrimination by allowing Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, to compete in the 2022 Women’s Swimming and Diving National Championships.

Gaines says they also weren’t informed they would be sharing a locker room with Thomas.

“I think it was traumatic for me and my teammates to understand just how easy it was for those people who created and enforced these policies to totally dismiss our rights to equal opportunity…our rights to privacy without even really bare minimum warning us. I saw the tears. I heard the whispers of anger and frustration. I felt the extreme discomfort,” says Gaines Barker.

Thomas swam for the University of Pennsylvannia’s men’s team before her gender transition and tied with Gaines in the 200-yard final.

Gaines credits her courage to speak up to the future generations of female athletes she hopes will be protected by the promise of Title IX.

“I mean truthfully I’ve feared for my life. I’ve been physically attacked. I’ve been spit on…drinks poured on me, you name it. The stand that I’ve taken is not a stand of hatred. It’s a stand of fairness. It’s a stand of equality. It’s a stand of safety and privacy. It’s a pro-woman stance, not anti anything,” says Gaines Barker.

Gaines says she’s had no personal interactions with Thomas since the championships, but has reached out on several occasions with no luck. She says despite many misconceptions, she believes athletes like Thomas deserve the gift of competition.

“…regardless of age, religion, race, sexual orientation, gender identity…everyone deserves to compete and to succeed. Just compete where? safely, number one. Fair, number two, and for Thomas, that’s in the men’s division,” says Gaines Barker.

According to Reuters, federal court records show as of Aug. 2, the lawsuit filed by Gaines and her fellow athletes is still ongoing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).