Riley Gaines’ Emotional Testimony to Lawmakers: This Is a Defining Moment for Women’s Equality!

Riley Gaines, along with other former NCAA female athletes, presented their statements to Georgia state lawmakers during a session of the Special Committee on Protecting Women’s Sports on Tuesday morning.

Gaines was accompanied by Reka Gyorgy, Kylee Alons, Grace Countie, and Kaitlynn Wheeler at the hearing. The five former swimmers shared their personal experiences from the championships, expressing their feelings regarding Lia Thomas, a transgender woman who competed at Penn, changing in the women’s locker room during that period.

As Gaines read her letter directed to Georgia Tech President Dr. Angel Cabrera, she became visibly emotional while recounting the “sexual harassment” she endured.

“We did not give our consent to be exploited and exposed to a 6-foot-4 fully naked man,” she stated. “Because you did nothing, that man walked into our women’s locker room at your university and saw me undress down to full nudity.

“You allowed college women to be traumatized and violated on your campus in this way. Why didn’t you protect us?”

At the conclusion of the hearing, the female athletes were asked how to approach the topic of transgender inclusion in women’s sports, a contentious issue in Georgia and throughout the United States.
The legislative body must take assertive measures to convey unequivocally that women deserve recognition, she stated. “You are entitled to identify as a champion. You have the right to privacy in situations of undressing. You deserve safety in your sport. You are worthy of your dignity. This is an opportunity for you to communicate that message to young girls—not only throughout Georgia but across the entire United States.”

Riley Gaines, a former swimmer at the University of Kentucky, expressed her thoughts following her tie for fifth place with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas from the University of Pennsylvania in the 200 Freestyle finals during the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18, 2022, at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. (Rich von Biberstein/Getty Images)

Gaines further called upon the lawmakers on the committee to ensure that those responsible for the events at the 2022 NCAA Championships held at Georgia Tech are held accountable.

Following the conclusion of the hearing, Georgia Tech issued a statement to Fox News Digital.

“As the host institution, Georgia Tech served as the venue for the 2022 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. In accordance with standard procedures for NCAA championships, the event was managed by the NCAA. We have cooperated and will continue to cooperate with the committee.”