Riley Gaines brands Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine a ‘spineless coward’ after he strikes down bill that would have barred trans athletes from competing in women’s sports – and a ban on gender-affirming care for children

Former college swimmer Riley Gaines slammed Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine as a ‘spineless coward’ after he struck down the bill that would have barred transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

The former Kentucky swimmer expressed her frustration in a social media post, stating, ‘Gov. Mike DeWine is a spineless coward that needs to be removed from office.’

This comes as DeWine vetoed Ohio’s House Bill 68 on Friday morning, a measure that could have prohibited access to gender-affirming treatment for children and prevented transgender student-athletes from participating in women’s sports.

In her post on X, formerly Twitter, the women’s sports activist Gaines said that the bill ‘would protect women’s sports and prevent child mutilation.’

She added, ‘Fortunately, Ohio has the votes to override the veto,’ as GOP leaders in the state indeed hold enough seats to overturn the governor’s veto.

Former college swimmer Riley Gaines slammed Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine as a ‘spineless coward’ after he struck down the bill that would have barred transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in Ohio vetoed a bill Friday that would have banned gender-affirming care for children and barred trans athletes from competing in women’s sports

The former standout college swimmer spoke out against transgender athletes for numerous times after competing against controversial NCAA champion Lia Thomas.

In a series of social media posts made on Friday, Gaines condemned the Republican governor’s decision to veto the bill, saying it ‘doesn’t accurately represent Ohioans, nevertheless Americans.’

She wrote: ‘Women not wanting to unconsensually undress in front of men is now homophobic… If that’s the standard, I would imagine 99.9% of women are homophobic.’

She added the decision is ‘in favor of men in women’s sports and locker rooms and children being chemically and surgically castrated.’

‘If our leaders can’t find it within themselves to protect children and women, it’s time we elect new leaders,’ she said.

The social media post has garnered an overwhelming response from users, with the majority expressing support for her stance on this controversial topic and speaking out for women.

‘I sincerely hope they override the veto. He’s very weak and I can’t wait until he’s done,’ one person wrote in comments.

‘He waited until the last moment to choose not to protect women and veto it, where are the feminist?’ another person had a similar reaction.

In response to a social media user who slammed her for ‘funding a massive echo chamber,’ she pushed back, stating, ‘You [are] looking at this as a competition rather than a shared goal is telling.’

‘Remember, I didn’t ask to be in this position. I saw a problem and no one else doing anything about it. So I decided I would,’ she wrote.

The former standout college swimmer spoke out against transgender athletes for numerous times after competing against controversial NCAA champion Lia Thomas

In a series of social media posts made on Friday, Gaines condemned the Republican governor’s decision to veto the bill, saying it ‘doesn’t accurately represent Ohioans, nevertheless Americans’

Hundreds of opponents testified against Ohio´s House Bill 68, that could have banned access to gender-affirming treatment and prevented transgender student-athletes from girls and women’s sports

Hundreds of opponents testified against Ohio’s House Bill 68, with the majority being medical and mental health providers, education professionals, faith leaders, parents of transgender children, and transgender individuals themselves.

They decried the legislation as cruel, life threatening to transgender youth and based on fearmongering rather than science.

The Legislature approved the bill earlier this month with only Republican support, prohibiting Ohio minors from taking puberty blockers and undergoing other hormone therapies or receiving gender reassignment surgery.

 DeWine´s veto departs from a nationwide trend toward passing such laws, as more than 20 states have enacted laws restricting or banning such treatments.

‘The consequences of this bill could not be more profound. Ultimately, I believe this is about protecting human life,’ DeWine said Friday during a news conference.

‘Many parents have told me that their child would not have survived, would be dead today, if they had not received the treatment they received from one of Ohio’s children’s hospitals,’ he added.

Ohio’s House of Representatives and Senate, controlled by Republicans, could still override the governor’s veto, but DeWine said he hopes to work with lawmakers on the issue.

‘I truly believe that we can collaborate, find common ground and adopt rules to protect Ohio children, adults and families in this area,’ DeWine said.

‘Were I to sign House Bill 68, were House Bill 68 to become law, Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government, knows better what is medically best for a child than the two people who love that child the most: the parents,’ he added.

Gaines is pictured at a House Oversight Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services hearing on Capitol Hill December 5 in Washington, DC

Gaines has been a vocal opponent of transgender inclusion in women’s sports, and testified before Congress this month as lawmakers consider changing Title IX regulations to support transgender inclusion.

‘There are numerous documented instances of males competing not just in women’s swimming, but also in women’s track, cross country, basketball, volleyball, field hockey, and other sports at all levels of competition,’ Gaines said.

‘At the high school level, the participation of male athletes on women’s teams is, arguably, one of the most underreported stories in the country.’

Her comments come after a number of transgender athletes have sparked backlash after winning women’s sporting events across the country, including one North Carolina cycling race in August where a trans rider won by over five minutes.

Gaines previously testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee over her trauma at sharing a locker room with swimmer Lia Thomas, who caused controversy by becoming the first transgender athlete to win at the NCAA Championships in March 2022.

‘In addition to being forced to give up our awards, our titles, and our opportunities, the NCAA forced me and my female swimmers to share a locker room with Thomas, a 6’4′ 22-year-old male equipped with (and exposing) male genitalia,’ Gaines said.

On Friday last week, Gaines condemned the victory of Sadie Schreiner, formerly known as Camden, who smashed the 300m women’s track record at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

‘This happens a lot for something that never happens,’ Gaines said on X.

Schreiner reportedly competed at the same meet a year ago in the men’s category of the 100m, where she came home in 19th place.

Swimmer Riley Gaines (right) has become a vocal opponent of transgender inclusion in women’s sports, and has expressed her outrage at competing against 2022 NCAA Champion Lia Thomas (left)

Sadie Schreiner romped to victory on December 8 in the women’s 300m dash, smashing the RIT school record and beating her nearest challenger by almost a full second

Cece Telfer became the first openly trans woman to win an NCAA title when she placed first in the 400m hurdles at the Division II National Championships in 2019 (pictured)

Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Olympics in 2020

Schreiner’s win is only the latest incidence of a growing number of transgender athletes finding success in women’s sports, as experts warn they hold an unfair physical advantage due to the effects of male puberty.

The debate was initially raised as a point of contention after the emergence of Cece Telfer – who became the first openly trans woman to win an NCAA title when she placed first in the 400m hurdles at the Division II National Championships in 2019.

The following year, Laurel Hubbard, from New Zealand, became the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Olympics when she took part in weightlifting at the Tokyo games.

In April, champion cyclist Hannah Arensman heartbreakingly announced the end of her dream of competing in the Olympics after losing to a biological male, saying their inclusion meant she would ‘lose no matter how hard I train.’

Tommy Lundberg, a lecturer in physiology at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, told DailyMail.com in March: ‘The most important thing is whether or not you have benefited from male development and male puberty. ‘

‘If you’ve done that, you’re going to have advantages you cannot undo later,’ said the leading researcher on the subject.

This view was also shared by Nancy Hogshead, a former pro swimmer who won three gold medals and one silver at the 1984 Olympics, who told DailyMail.com: ‘Trans women have an undeniable physical advantage.

‘Their bodies do what male bodies do when they go through puberty and is the reason why we segregate sports ubiquitously around the world.

‘Unless we’re talking about just playing, just recreational sports. All competitive sports is sex-segregated.’

Astrid Burkle, aged 10, told ABC News she is worried about ‘mean’ people blocking her health care

Astrid Burkle, aged 10, is seen with her sister Abs, mother Alicia and father Aaron

Following DeWine’s decision on Friday, Gaines also reposted the story about a ten-year-old Ohio girl who fears that she could lose access to gender-affirming treatment in her state before the veto was announced.

Gaines wrote: ‘This poor child. Child abuse is not health care.’

Astrid Burkle, a 10-year-old transgender girl, told ABC News: ‘It’s been really frustrating at times. Because there’s just so many people out there who are just really mean.’

Her mother, Alicia Burkle, said that while her daughter was currently too young to have surgery, she was receiving extensive therapy and mental health care, and was concerned that Ohio could ban more significant treatment such as puberty blockers before her daughter was old enough to receive it.

Aaron Burkle, her father, said their local community has been supportive, but her sister Abs said they may leave Ohio if trans treatment for minors is blocked.

‘We want to be able to support our communities and the state of Ohio, but like, people are going to leave,’ said Abs Burkle. ‘People are going to be hurt. They’re not going to want to come back to Ohio.’

Alicia Burkle agreed with her daughter and said they would move if they had to.

‘Just because you’ve said that you’re not going to allow us to get the care here in Ohio doesn’t mean we’re suddenly going to stop getting the care for our kids,’ said Alicia Burkle.

‘We trust the science, we trust her health care providers. And so we’re going to do what we have to do and whether that is travel out of state to get it, whether it’s leave the state and move – that’s what we’ll do.’