"This is intimidation & emotional blackmail that girls face"- Riley Gaines slams University of Nevada's response after players boycott match

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Oct 15, 2024 05:31 GMT

Riley Gaines has criticized the University of Nevada's response after their female volleyball players decided to boycott their upcoming match against the San Jose State University. The team made this decision in the light of San Jose State University playing with Blaire Fleming, who is reportedly a transgender.

In response to their decision, the University of Nevada decided to go ahead with the match, though they will impose no disciplinary action on anyone who boycotts it. Gaines criticized this approach as she wrote on her X account,

"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 women's volleyball team is the fifth institution to have taken this decision. Previously, the teams from Southern Utah University, the Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, and the Utah State University decided to boycott their upcoming matches against the San Jose State University in the Mountain West Conference tournament.

Interestingly, San Jose State University faced dissent on their decision to continue with Fleming from their own players, especially Brooke Slusser. Slusser even went on to support the lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender players to play in women's sports, led by Riley Gaines and 15 other players.

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Riley Gaines' battle against Title IX changes

Riley Gaines and her campaign against Title IX changes [Image for Representational Purposes] [Image Source : Getty]

Riley Gaines has been persistently battling against the inclusion of transgender players in women's sports. The 24-year-old swimmer has been equally concerned for the safety of teenage girls, who are being harassed by boys posing as transgender students.

However, very few know that Gaines is also fighting against the amendments to Title IX, proposed by the Joe Biden-led US administration. According to the proposed changes, people representing the LGBTQ community will get additional representation in sports and further protection from any kind of harassment.

However, this amendment has been criticized by several people, including Gaines, who believes that the changes to Title IX will only make it worse for women's sports, and will allow biological males to invade the privacy of the female athletes. The social activist has been on a relentless campaign, requesting the people in power to force the administration to reconsider the move.

Gaines has succeeded to some extent in this direction, when in June 2024, a local court in Kentucky halted the implementation of the said order. In August 2024, the state of Idaho openly announced it would not let an arbitrary imposition of this order in any situation.