A women’s rights advocacy group condemned an incident at San Francisco State University Thursday night involving former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines calling it «absolutely ridiculous».
The Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) issued a statement early Friday after Gaines, a 12-time All-American swimmer and spokesperson for the organization, posted a video on Twitter claiming she was «ambushed and physically beaten twice for one man» after delivering a speech at a Turning Point USA and Leadership Institute event held on the San Francisco State campus.
University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines reacts after finishing tied for fifth in the 200 Freestyle final at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18, 2022 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
«We strongly condemn the violence perpetrated against [IWF] spokeswoman Riley Gaines in SFSU campus. Riley was violently accosted, ambushed and physically assaulted during a speech about the sexual discrimination women face in their own single-sex relationships. sports category», the group wrote on Twitter.
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«Riley is courageous in standing up for truth, science and common sense. She has experienced firsthand the injustice facing female athletes across the United States in her own sport.»
Gaines posted video on social media showing her being escorted by police after protesters apparently surrounded her and followed her through the halls of a building while yelling at her.
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines speaks during a rally Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, outside the NCAA Convention in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
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“The effort to silence, threaten and harm women for defending women’s rights is absolutely ridiculous,” the IWF continued in its statement.
«The Biden administration and the governing bodies of sports, [the NCAA and International Olympic Committee]push for biological men in women’s sport for the sake of inclusion to be responsible for this.»
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The incident involving Gaines followed a Supreme Court decision to allow a 12-year-old transgender girl in West Virginia to continue to compete on her high school’s girls’ sports teams while a lawsuit over a state ban continues.
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, left, and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines react after finishing tied for fifth in the 200-meter freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18, 2022 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
West Virginia’s law on school sports competition prohibits transgender athletes from girls’ teams. It applies to middle and high schools, as well as colleges.
Kyle Morris of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.