"We can expect more apologies" - Riley Gaines slams Malcolm Gladwell after admitting to being cowed to accept transgender athletes in women's sports

Riley Gaines and Malcolm Gladwell (Images by Getty)
Riley Gaines and Malcolm Gladwell (Images by Getty)

Riley Gaines recently took a swipe at the author of Outliers and The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell after he admitted to being cowed to accept the notion of transgender athletes competing in women's sports. In the latest episode of the podcast “The Real Science of Sport,” hosted by scientist Ross Tucker and sports journalist Mike Finch, Gladwell confessed to being intimidated to voice his true stance.

Ad

He stated his regret for the position he held at the 2022 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference panel about transgender participation in women’s sports, where Tucker was also present as a guest. In the recent podcast, Gladwell admitted he agreed with Tucker's view, but felt pressured to say it. Gladwell's late admission did not sit well with Gaines, who criticized him for staying silent even after having financial security.

"For him to say that he was just scared to say that men don't belong in women's sports, it shows us number one, really, how totalitarian propaganda mainstream media has become, and number two, how spineless mainstream media journalists are. I believe I have the mind that he had nothing to lose here. He was protected financially...yet he led others."
Ad
"We can expect more apologies, attempts to memory-hole, and lies about people's participation in the erosion of women's rights, parental rights, and the safeguarding of children," Gaines added.
Ad

Riley Gaines further praised J.K. Rowling for her anti-trans activism.

Riley Gaines supports the Dighton-Rehoboth High School field hockey team as they refuse to compete against teams that include male players

 Riley Gaines speaks during the 10X Ladies Conference in Aventura, Florida. (Photo by Getty Images)
Riley Gaines speaks during the 10X Ladies Conference in Aventura, Florida. (Photo by Getty Images)

Riley Gaines recently extended her support to Dighton-Rehoboth High School field hockey for refusing to compete against teams that include male players. The decision was made, citing the horrific incident when one of their players suffered facial and dental injuries after receiving a blow from a male player during their faceoff with Swampscott High School in 2023. Praising the team's decision, Gaines wrote:

Ad
"A Massachusetts high school has forfeited all field hockey games against a team with a boy after a girl had her teeth knocked out by a male player last year. Bravo, @DRHighSchool 👏🏼 Listen to the screams of the girls in the video. Listen to the screams of the girls, @MassGovernor."

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) permits a male player to compete on a girls' team if the school does not have a male team in the particular sport.

Quick Links

Edited by Janhavi Shinde
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications