Riley Gaines


Athlete, Advocate, Woman

Riley Gaines is a leader defending women’s single-sex spaces, advocating for equality and fairness, and standing up for women’s safety, privacy, and equal opportunities.

Gaines graduated from the University of Kentucky, where she was a 12x All-American swimmer. 

Riley has made waves for speaking out after tying UPenn’s Lia Thomas, a biological male swimmer on the women’s team, at the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships. 

After Riley directly experienced competing against a man in women’s sports, being forced without warning or consent to undress before the fully intact male, and subjected to discrimination by the NCAA, she became one of the most powerful voices to speak out against the injustice, challenging the rules of the NCAA, USA Swimming, International Olympic Committee (IOC), and other governing bodies. 

Riley now works for the leading women’s organization making real and lasting change, legally defining ‘woman,’ protecting Title IX, and defending women’s rights to single-sex spaces and equal opportunities. She has traveled the country speaking and has testified before the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and countless state legislatures.

Stand with Riley.

Speak louder.

WORK WITH RILEY

Interested in having Riley join you for an event or have a media inquiry? Fill out the form.

COMPETITION REPORT

Competition: Title IX, Male-Bodied Athletes, and the Threat to Women’s Sports” synthesizes the science and explain the changing legal landscape of American sports.

SHARE YOUR STORY

What does being, raising, or watching a female athlete mean to you? Are you a current or former college athlete and have thoughts about biological male athletes participating in female athletics?

GAINES FOR GIRLS

Join Riley each week for conversations with policy experts, world-renowned scientists, elite athletes, and others who have been affected by the cultural issues plaguing America.

OUTKICK PODCAST

THE RILEY GAINES CENTER

The left has used all its power to destroy the distinctions between women and men — eliminating opportunities for women, and silencing those who dare to speak the truth.

The Riley Gaines Center identifies and recruits those targeted by the left. The Center trains them to fearlessly, relentlessly, and eloquently defend America’s founding principles and to become powerhouse leaders who work in positions of influence to keep America true to those principles.

LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

Advisor and Spokeswoman

Riley Gaines is an advisor at Independent Women’s Voice where she advances our mission of defending women’s single-sex spaces, advocating for equality and fairness, and standing up for women’s safety, privacy and equal opportunities. Riley has traveled the country speaking out about the need to protect women’s spaces. She has encouraged other female athletes to come forward and highlight why the issue is blatantly unfair and harmful to females.

Independent Women’s Voice