STEPHEN A. Smith confronted Riley Gaines over her trans sports feud with Simone Biles.
And the ESPN star appeared to be aligned with the college swimmer’s view on transgender athletes.
Riley Gaines appeared on The Stephen A. Smith Show on Wednesday[/caption]
Smith, 57, welcomed Gaines, 25, onto his self-titled show Wednesday.
The former college swimmer is an activist campaigning against trans women competing in female sports.
She posted on X last week about the matter and drew an angry response from Biles.
That led to an exchange where the pair accused the other of being a “bully.”
Gaines shared a post from Minnesota State High School League which celebrated a new softball champion.
Champlin Park girl’s team won the title and their team posed for a picture.
Gaines claimed comments were turned off on the post.
And she added, “To be expected when your star player is a boy.”
Smith confronted Gaines on the post during the interview Wednesday.
She said, “This case in Minnesota that you’re referring to, this was a boy who pitched five games straight in Minnesota who pitched five games straight, 35 consecutive innings, only allowed two runs of those 35 innings.
“Of those 35 innings, I think he pitched 21 shutout innings.
“They won the state championship,
“It was his team’s only ever even making the state tournament.
“Of course, they went on to win.
“He led his team in a way that I would describe as not very valiantly.”
Simone Biles issued an apology for her ‘personal’ remarks towards Riley Gaines[/caption]
Gaines added, “Nonetheless, to be very clear, this boy is following the rules that were in place by local leadership, state leadership.
“Of course, at the interscholastic level, but it nonetheless violated federal law, that federal law being Title IX.
“So I was quick to call this out, as I have done for years after experiencing personally the effects of competing against a man.”
Smith listened intently to Gaines’ view on transgenders and gave his own thoughts.
“Now see, I am liberal when it comes to living and let living,” Smith said.
“But when you are talking about women competing in sports against transgender women, men transitioning to women, I side with you 1,000 percent.
“I have no problem with your position whatsoever.
“I am not scared to say it, and I have never been scared to say it. I think that is absolutely the right thing to do.
“Women should be competing against women. Men should be competing against men. And transgenders should be competing against transgenders.
“I have no problem with it whatsoever. I don’t know why that’s controversial.”
