Regan

“I believe being forced to use preferred pronouns promotes reality distortion and a lack of basic respect for biology. Since I started advocating for women’s sex-based rights, I began to realize that even when I tried to be what I thought was kind and inclusive and used preferred pronouns, it wasn’t enough. Unless we undoubtedly believed men could turn into women and experience all the same things women do while not daring to question it, then you were showcasing transphobia. I was fully embracing fiction in the guise of showing respect.”
― Riley Gaines, Swimming Against the Current: Fighting for Common Sense in a World That’s Lost its Mind

“My jaw tightened. “You mean to tell me any man can walk into our locker room?”

He said nothing, avoiding eye contact.

Just a few years ago, if a man walked in the women’s locker room, he would be arrested and thrown in jail and thought of as a sexual predator.”
― Riley Gaines, Swimming Against the Current: Fighting for Common Sense in a World That’s Lost its Mind

“One more thing to mention that is unique to swimming locker rooms is that there is a lot of undressing, multiple times a session. We arrived in our clothes and changed into our practice suits to warm up, then we changed from our practice suits into our racing suits, then from our racing suits back into our practice suits to finish warming down, and then from our practice suits back into our clothes. So just in one session, you would undress down to nothing four times. Then we would come back for finals that same day and repeat the process all over again. Just trying to hit home the fact that there were lots of opportunities to be seen fully exposed each day.”
― Riley Gaines, Swimming Against the Current: Fighting for Common Sense in a World That’s Lost its Mind

“A few months later, in honor of Women’s History Month, ESPN released a special on Thomas. Of all the female athletes who could have been chosen, someone who was not even born a female was handpicked. These actions are regressive and misogynistic.
No female swimmer was honored during this Women’s History Month special by ESPN. Only Thomas.”
― Riley Gaines, Swimming Against the Current: Fighting for Common Sense in a World That’s Lost its Mind