"Actively fighting to include men in women's sports" - Riley Gaines takes sly dig at Billie Jean King on Battle of the Sexes' 50th anniversary
Former swimmer and activist Riley Gaines criticized legendary tennis player Billie Jean King on the 50th anniversary of the revolutionary Battle of the Sexes.
In 1973, King played against retired Bobby Riggs, a six-time Major winner. She defeated Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, in a match with a $100,000 winner-take-all reward at the Houston Astrodome in Texas.
Since then, Billie Jean King has been recognized for her advocacy for women’s rights in sports and her efforts to reduce discrimination against the transgender community.
Riley Gaines took to her X (formerly Twitter) account recently to criticize the 79-year-old American sensation as the Battle of the Sexes celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Sharing pictures from the match, the former swimming pro applauded King as a 'trailblazer for women's sports' and for winning 11 Grand Slam singles titles.
However, she soon expressed her disappointment at King fighting to include men in women’s sports presently, citing the tennis legend's support for the transgender community.
"Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of Billie Jean King beating Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes. She was a trailblazer for women's sports and Title IX. Where is King now? Actively fighting to include men in women's sports. So much for the Battle of the Sexes," Gaines wrote.
Riley Gaines also quoted Billie Jean King’s statement published by Sports Illustrated from 2021, during a court proceeding to enable transgender students to participate in school sports. She wrote in her post:
"King says 'There is no place in any sport for discrimination of any kind. I’m proud to support all transgender athletes who simply want the access and opportunity to compete in the sport they love. The global athletic community grows stronger when we welcome and champion all athletes – including LGBTQI+ athletes.'"
Gaines then added her perspective of the legendary player, writing:
"She is now diminishing women of the very opportunities she once fought for."
Riley Gaines applauds Kellie-Jay Keen's courage for speaking out against trans athletes' inclusion in women's sports
Riley Gaines recently shared a video on her X page of her idol Kellie-Jay Keen, also known as Posie Parker for her courageous act at the NCAA championships.
In the video, the anti–trans rights activist shouted ‘He is a man’ from the audience when trans woman and swimmer Lia Thomas was speaking to a reporter after her performance.
Impressed by her guts, Gaines shared the video and also applauded Keen, indicating that the Brit inspires her to speak her mind without fearing anyone.
"She's my role model! The word fearless gets tossed around a lot, but Kellie-Jay Keen is the embodiment of it," Riley Gaines wrote.
"She was at the NCAA championships and was the first I had seen to unapologetically and loudly call Thomas what he is...a man. She showed me it's not hard to say that," she added.