"Athletes defend themselves while adults stay silent" - Riley Gaines backs University of Nevada players in their boycott against SJSU

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Nov 20, 2024 10:28 GMT

Riley Gaines has come out in support of the University of Nevada. Volleyball players of the university recently announced their decision to boycott their upcoming match against San Jose State University due to the inclusion of Blaire Fleming on the team, who is reportedly a transgender person.

The former NCAA swimmer turned social activist took to her X account to express her thoughts about the same. Gaines wrote,

"Can we recognize how great this statement is? 'We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes.' Athletes defend themselves while the adults stay silent."

However, when the university disassociated itself from the decision of the players, Gaines came down heavily against the administration. In a further post on her X account, she wrote,

"INSANE response from @unevadareno after the women's volleyball team decided to forfeit their match against SJSU. This is the intimidation & emotional blackmail that girls face when they stand up for themselves. Hold the line girls, @NevadaWVB. We're all behind you! BOYcott."

The University of Nevada is the fifth team to boycott their match against San Jose State University. Previously, Southern Utah University, Boise State University, University of Wyoming, and Utah State University openly announced their decision to boycott their upcoming matches against the San Jose State University.

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Riley Gaines and the San Jose State University controversy in a nutshell

Riley Gaines and her persistent struggles against the San Jose State University [Image for Representational Purposes][Image Source : Getty]

While Riley Gaines hasn't been directly involved in the decisions taken by the aforementioned universities, she has been unequivocally supportive of the team. It all began when despite several complaints, the San Jose State University reportedly went ahead with Blaire Fleming, leading to SJSU winning the match against Fresno State University by 9-0.

This led to several educational institutions boycotting their matches against the San Jose State University. When Utah State University announced their boycott against the SJSU, Gaines wrote on her X account,

"This kind of unity is what I (and many others who have worked far longer than me) have been pushing for over the past two years. The gender ideology house of cards is crumbling, and it's a glorious sight."

The 24-year-old social activist has also been supportive of San Jose State University player Brooke Slusser, who raised voice against her teammate Fleming, for which she was subject to cyberbullying, as well as death threats. Gaines mentioned about it, as she wrote in another post,

"'Tonight’s women’s volleyball match between SJSU and CSU will be monitored by droves of armed police after one of the San Jose players received a chilling death threat.' Female athlete speaks up for fair play and receives death threat. This is abhorrent."

Riley Gaines has been working for the cause of keeping transgender women out of women's sports since 2022. The 24-year-old former NCAA swimmer had raised her voice against the inclusion of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who was prioritized over her for the fifth-place trophy at the NCAA Championships. Gaines was successful in her efforts when World Aquatics barred transgender swimmers from participating in any kind of women's elite events.