College swimming champion Riley Gaines slammed San Francisco State University for praising its students for so-called “peaceful” protests after claiming she was “several times by a man in a dress” after a speech about saving women’s sports been beaten.
Gaines, 23, was forced to barricade herself in a room on the campus of San Francisco State University for about three hours Thursday night after a group of activists ambushed her.
She gave a speech to students about competing against Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, at last year’s NCAA women’s swimming championships. It’s unclear what exactly started the uproar, but the video shows students loudly drowning out Gaines’ speech about competing against “biological men” in women’s sports.
In an email to students from Jamillah Moore, vice president of student affairs and enrollment administration, published online, she claims the school is “proud” of the students who “participated peacefully” and made it clear that the trans community be welcome at school.
Gaines – who exclusively told how she was hit twice by a trans activist – reacted furiously, writing: “I’m sorry only said this PEACEFULLY… I was attacked. I was blackmailed and held for ransom. The protesters demanded that I pay them if I want to make it home safely.”
Gaines, 23, was forced to barricade herself in a room on the campus of San Francisco State University for about three hours last night after a group of activists ambushed her
Moore ended her email by writing, “This feels difficult because it is difficult. As you begin to reflect, process, and heal, please remember that there are people, resources, and services ready to welcome our Gator community, including faculty, staff, coaches, and mentors who are here to serve you to support.’
Gaines noted that there was a “mixed” audience and that “we had great dialogue and listened to each other.”
But she notes that “this ambush was the opposite of peaceful.”
Gaines’ husband, Louis Barker, said over the weekend he had brief conversations with his wife while she was locked in the room for almost three hours.
“She told me she was hit several times by a guy in a dress. I was shaking It made me so angry. It sickens me to feel so helpless about it,” Barker said. “She was under police protection and was still beaten by a man in a dress.”
“Prisoners run the SFSU facility…I was mugged by a man and physically beaten twice,” Gaines wrote in the tweet.
“This is proof that women need gender-protected spaces. But that just confirms to me that I’m doing something right. If they want to shut you up, speak up.’
Jamillah Moore (pictured), vice president of student affairs and enrollment administration for the state of San Francisco, sent the original email
College swimming champion Riley Gaines filmed herself being reportedly ambushed by screaming trans activists who physically assaulted her after delivering a speech about saving women’s sports
A terrified Gaines, 23, was forced to barricade herself in a room on the campus of San Francisco State University last night after a group of activists ambushed her
Gaines, 22, told how her attacker – who she says was a transgender woman – punched her first in the shoulder and then in the face before an undercover campus police officer came to her rescue.
The swimmer said she was barricaded in a room at San Francisco State University for three hours to protect herself from the “vengeful” mob who demanded they be let in to “fight” her. San Francisco police said there were no arrests.
Gaines also took issue with the Biden administration for claiming that the trans community is threatened when it comes to women who are being targeted.
In a wide-ranging interview, Gaines suggested suggestions from the president that would mean misgendering could be considered sexual harassment – and accused the White House of promoting a narrative that has encouraged violence and threats against women.
College swimming champion Riley Gaines filmed herself being reportedly ambushed by screaming trans activists who physically assaulted her after delivering a speech about saving women’s sports
“I think this narrative was built because we have people in administrative roles, whether it’s on universities or college campuses or even in the Biden administration … who say the trans community is under threat,” she said.
“So I think they like to think they’re being followed all the time… But in my experience… I’ve always been on the receiving end of that hate.”
The swimmer spoke as she returned to her Nashville home after presenting a lecture on women’s rights at the university on Thursday night.
But the event was hijacked by around 100 protesters who flocked to the campus.
Gaines said the talk itself, which started around 7:30 p.m., was “really great,” with 75 participants respectfully sharing differing views on transgender athletes in sport.
But as she exited the room where the talk was being held, she was ambushed by angry trans activists who stormed into the venue from the hallway outside.
“Suddenly ambushes are pouring in, a ton,” she said. “They immediately rush to the front of the room I’m in, so I’m kind of cornered on a podium at that point.
“They yell in my face. That’s where I got hit twice… I think both times I aimed for my shoulder, but the first time it hit me in the shoulder and the second time it grazed my face.”
Gaines said she thought she had been hit with a closed fist by the transgender woman before demonstrating the upward punch motion used.
“I’m not quite sure that’s the case [her first] was closed or open but it was 100 percent intentional,” she added.
Inside: Protesters inside the event begin to raise their voices in response to Riley Gaines. The doors to the event are closed. pic.twitter.com/CyhJTvceXd
— Golden Gate Xpress (@GGXnews) April 7, 2023
Protesters hang a flag and start chanting “go the fuck home” while Riley Gaines hides in HSS room 325. The protesters are waiting for her to come out pic.twitter.com/2PkiapnzvJ
— Golden Gate Xpress (@GGXnews) April 7, 2023
The swimmer said she was then taken away by an undercover campus police officer but was met by an “even larger crowd” of protesters coming from both directions.
“Because there wasn’t a clear exit out of that hallway, we were kind of forced into a side room … where we essentially had to lock ourselves in for three hours,” she said.
Gaines said the protesters stayed outside the room for the duration, “yelling and yelling vulgar and violent things.”
“They were screaming that there will be revenge and that this is a fight and that I’m taking advantage of my white privilege. There were threats, intimidation. They kept saying, “Open the door. Let’s go to Riley. We want to fight them.”
“A lot of these are empty threats in a way, but at the same time you kind of have to fear for your safety in a situation like this.”
She said the protesters were “clearly unhinged” and “vindictive”.
“It was violent and not progressive,” she added.
Gaines has criticized the Biden administration for “betraying” women by not protecting them
Former President Donald Trump with swimmer Riley Gaines speaks at the CPAC Convention, Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Texas. August 06, 2022
Gaines defended those who came to protest peacefully, saying she had no problem with people shouting “trans women are women,” but said inciting violence was never acceptable.
She said she regularly received violent threats before speaking at universities and blamed the Biden administration for her stance on transgender issues.
She cited comments from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who indicated that America’s trans community was “attacked” after a school shooting in Nashville by a former transgender student.
Gaines said: “In my experience, I have never said anything remotely threatening, even remotely hateful towards the trans person or anyone in the LGBT community.
“I’ve always been on the receiving end of that hate, and I find it a bit ironic because it comes from the party that claims to be tolerant and accepting, loving and welcoming.”
She also referenced her experiences competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and the sight of Thomas’ male genitalia in the locker room in connection with changes to Title IX being pursued by the White House, which would mean misgendering someone to do — refusing to use a person’s preferred pronoun — could be viewed as sexual harassment.
“It felt like maybe two years ago this person was arrested for indecent exposure, voyeurism, sexual harassment … But now we’re the ones committing sexual harassment.”
Gaines shared her experiences competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and seeing her male genitalia in the locker room
Speaking of her encounter with Thomas in the women’s locker rooms, she said: “Of course you’re awkward. It’s embarrassing. It’s uncomfortable. It felt like belittling, but more than anything, it was betrayal.
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines
“The people who were supposed to protect us didn’t protect us. It’s heartbreaking.
“We should not lose the ability to consent in areas of undressing where we are exposed to the opposite sex.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier Friday condemned the incident as “an appalling assault on free speech on a college campus.”
He tweeted, “House Republicans stand behind Riley Gaines in her brave and tireless efforts to protect women’s sports.”
The San Francisco Police Department said it was investigating the incident, but said there had been “no arrests related to the incident.”
A spokesperson added, “The disruption occurred after the event concluded, requiring UPD officials to move the event speaker from the room to another, safer location.”