Riley Gaines, Former Rival of Lia Thomas, Delighted as UPenn Faces $175 Million Funding Cut

Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer and a vocal advocate for women’s sports, expressed her support for the Trump administration’s recent decision to pause $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) over its inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports. This move has been hailed by Gaines as a significant step toward preserving fairness and equal opportunities for female athletes, and it has sparked a broader debate on the role of transgender women in competitive sports.

Gaines, a decorated athlete who previously swam for the University of Kentucky, did not mince words when discussing the impact that Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer at UPenn, had on her career and the broader landscape of women’s sports. She shared her thoughts with Fox News Digital, stating that the decision to pause the federal funding was a crucial victory for women’s rights in athletics.

“The Trump administration has yet again taken swift action to uphold common sense and preserve women's opportunities by pausing $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania,” Gaines said.

The funding freeze is connected to UPenn’s policies that allow transgender women, like Lia Thomas, to compete on women’s teams. Gaines and other critics argue that allowing transgender women, particularly those who have gone through male puberty, to compete against cisgender women creates an unfair advantage.

Gaines expressed that Thomas’ participation in women’s swimming directly affected her and other female athletes, stripping them of hard-earned podium spots, trophies, and records.

Gaines went on to explain her personal experience, emphasizing that the presence of a male athlete in the women’s locker room further exacerbated the discomfort and unfairness that she and her teammates felt. “UPenn allowed a male to compete in women’s swimming, stripping female athletes like myself and my teammates of their hard-earned podium spots, trophies, and records all while forcing them to share a locker room with this fully intact man who exposed himself to us,” she remarked.

Gaines' comments reflect a broader issue that many critics of transgender inclusion in women’s sports have raised—the discomfort that cisgender women may experience when required to share spaces like locker rooms with transgender women who have male anatomy.

The issue gained national attention when Gaines tied with Lia Thomas for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle final at the 2022 NCAA National Championships. Despite the tie, it was Thomas who was awarded the fifth-place trophy, which led to public outrage from Gaines and many of her supporters.

She noted that Thomas had also gone on to win a national championship title in the women’s 500-yard freestyle, which only deepened the controversy over the fairness of allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports.

Gaines’ stance has been a rallying cry for many who believe that the integrity of women’s sports is being undermined by the inclusion of transgender athletes who may have physical advantages due to male puberty. Supporters of this view argue that trans women, particularly those who transition after puberty, maintain physical attributes such as size, muscle mass, and strength that give them an edge over cisgender women.

This, they argue, creates an inherent competitive disadvantage for female athletes, making it harder for them to succeed at the highest levels of competition.

In her response to the funding freeze, Gaines emphasized that the decision was not just a personal victory, but a broader message to institutions across the country. “This proactive step sends a clear message: institutions that disregard the integrity of women’s sports and the rights of female athletes will face consequences,” Gaines stated.

Her remarks highlight a key element of the debate surrounding transgender inclusion in sports: the tension between inclusivity and fairness. For Gaines and her supporters, the push to allow transgender women to compete in women’s sports undermines the achievements and opportunities of cisgender female athletes.

The Trump administration’s decision to pause $175 million in funding to UPenn is not the first time that the president has taken action on the issue of transgender athletes. Throughout his time in office and in the years since, Trump has remained a staunch opponent of policies that allow transgender women to compete in women’s sports.

His administration has argued that such policies violate the principles of fair competition and harm women’s opportunities to succeed in athletics. The freeze on federal funding to UPenn serves as a continuation of this stance and a clear signal to other universities and institutions that may have similar policies.

The funding that has been paused comes from vital government departments, including the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services, which provide grants and financial support to universities for research and academic initiatives. By freezing this funding, the Trump administration is sending a strong message to UPenn and other universities that support policies allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports.

The pause in funding has raised concerns within the university community about the potential long-term impact on research projects, student programs, and other academic activities that rely on federal grants.

For many transgender advocates, the funding freeze is seen as a punitive measure that targets an already marginalized group. Supporters of transgender athletes argue that they should have the same rights and opportunities to compete in women’s sports as any other woman. They assert that the inclusion of transgender women in sports is not a threat to fairness but rather an essential part of ensuring equal treatment for all individuals, regardless of gender identity.

The controversy surrounding transgender athletes in women’s sports is far from resolved, and the recent funding freeze is likely to intensify the debate. Advocates for transgender rights are expected to continue challenging policies that exclude transgender women from women’s sports, while opponents will likely argue for stricter regulations to protect the integrity of women’s athletics.

As the debate continues, Riley Gaines remains one of the most vocal critics of transgender inclusion in women’s sports. Her personal experiences, particularly her tie with Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA National Championships, have fueled her passion for defending the rights of cisgender women athletes.

Gaines’ praise for the Trump administration’s actions highlights the ongoing divide over how to balance inclusivity and fairness in competitive sports, and her stance is sure to resonate with others who share her views on the issue.

The outcome of this funding freeze and the broader debate surrounding transgender athletes will likely have significant implications for the future of women’s sports. As more states and institutions grapple with how to address the participation of transgender athletes, it remains to be seen whether policies will shift toward greater exclusion or whether the push for inclusivity will prevail.

One thing is clear: the conversation surrounding transgender athletes and their place in women’s sports is far from over.