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Former IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick took to her Instagram stories and shared US politician Nancy Mace’s post amid the ongoing debate between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines about transgender athletes in women's sports. The debate began after Gaines shared the Minnesota State High School League’s post about their softball team becoming the Class AAAA Softball State Champion.
As Riley Gaines shared the post, she wrote,
“Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy”
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The pitcher of the winning team was transgender, and Gaines detailed the same in her tweet. Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, took offense to Gaines’ tweet and responded to it by calling the former swimmer “truly sick” and a “bully”. The same led to a back-and-forth between the two.
Biles’ tweet also referred to Riley Gaines' 2022 NCAA championship performance, where she tied with Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer. Gaines has since become a conservative political activist and is known for campaigning against the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports. The World Aquatics has ever since stopped the participation of trans women in women's elite races.
“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser.” read a part of Simone Biles' reply.
In addition, Simone Biles shared a tweet about Riley Gaines' appearance, which read,
“bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male”
Riley Gaines suggested that Biles was throwing subtle hints at body shaming her and claimed that she's 5 feet 5 inches.
The debate between Biles and Gaines has taken the international stage with US politician Nancy Mace responding to Simone Biles' take on transgender women in women's sports. Mace shared a post on her Instagram on June 7 with an image of Biles and a caption that read,
“Honey, if biological men competed in women's gymnastics, odds are no one would know your name”
F1 pundit Danica Patrick, who features as a host for Sky Sports F1, shared the same post on her Instagram story.
Nancy Mace previously introduced a resolution in 2024 to amend the rules of the US House of Representatives. The resolution was set to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms at the Capitol. A broader legislation of the resolution would be applied to every federal building and federally funded school.
Danica Patrick shared her take on the debate between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines: “I am grateful for people like @rileygbarker”
Many influential people, such as Jennifer Sey, Founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics, and J.K. Rowling, shared their views about transgender women in women's sports following the debate between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines. Danica Patrick took to Instagram and shared her take on the same.
Danica Patrick shared a screenshot of Fox News’ post about the Biles-Gaines debate on her story.
“This issue has a shelf life. I truly believe common sense will prevail. But until then, I am grateful for people like @rileygbarker who are making sure no one gets away with it. Not to mention that fact that she actually lived it. Defending men in women's sports is the woke mind virus and/or another issue that requires therapy. Either way, it is so irrational,” read Danica Patrick's caption for the story.
The debate between Gaines and Biles continues as the former swimmer recently uploaded a video talking about Biles' attempt at body shaming her.
