"Spineless coward that needs to be removed from office" - Riley Gaines slams Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for vetoing HB68 bill

By Janhavi Shinde

Modified Mar 13, 2024 12:32 GMT

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Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines recently panned Ohio Governor Mike DeWine after he vetoed the House Bill 68 on Friday. The bill could have prohibited medical practitioners from giving gender-affirming care to trans youth.

Also known as Ohio’s Saving Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act, the bill would have prohibited puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender reassignment surgery for individuals under 18.

Earlier this month, the bill was approved in both chambers of the Ohio Legislature. The bill would have also refrained transgender student-athletes from competing against girls and women in the K-12 level, colleges, and universities.

Gaines, who has been a devoted supporter of the exclusion of trans athletes from women's sports, railed against the governor, saying:

"Governor Mike DeWine has vetoed HB 68, a bill that would protect women's sports and prevent child mutilation. Fortunately, Ohio has the votes to override the veto.

"GovMikeDeWine is a spineless coward that needs to be removed from office."

Riley Gaines continues to protest against inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports

Riley Gaines spoke about the abuse she faces while speaking on transgender issues.

Riley Gaines has been a fervent advocate for the exclusion of transgender athletes from women's sports. She has been the subject of abuse multiple times for voicing her opinions, including facing a protest right before a speech.

The former NCAA swimmer recently shared a video, stating that she has suffered abuse multiple times, but that hasn't stopped her from speaking her mind.

"I get asked all the time by bloomers, specifically by people who don't necessarily understand vitriol or wrath and the relentlessness of the trans rights activist and their allies," she said. "I personally experienced in terms of backlash. You know I've drinks poured on me. I've had glass bottles thrown on me. I've been spit on.

"I've been assaulted and held to ransom for four hours where these protestors demanded that if I wanted to make it home to see my family safely again I had to pay them money. The list goes on... death threats, people showing up to my house, drones flying above my house."

She then made her stand clear:

"I do claim to speak for the overwhelming majority of us who are scared and the parents who are scared to defend their daughters, the coaches who are scared to stand up for their athletes because they don't want to lose their jobs, and the threats, the risk, they are very real and I've seen them play out."

The issue of participation of transgender athletes in women's sports continues to be a highly contentious one. Debates on it are taking place at the global level and they are unlikely to die down.