OPINION:
Words matter. And when you’re a mega-famous, record-breaking gymnast who has inspired millions of girls and young women across the globe, your voice becomes the most influential of megaphones.
That’s what made gymnast Simone Biles’ vile and unbecoming comments about former competitive swimmer and activist Riley Gaines so disappointing, disheartening and diabolical.
The viral social media spat between the two ensued after Ms. Gaines critiqued a Minnesota high school girls softball team’s victory, writing on social media that the “star player is a boy.” The team’s pitcher is reportedly a male, sparking questions from Ms. Gaines and other critics about fairness and equity.
Ms. Biles, clearly frustrated by Ms. Gaines’ critique, took to X to respond — and it quickly turned ugly.
“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race,” Ms. Biles wrote. “Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!”
She continued, “But instead … You bully them … One things [sic] for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!”
And she wasn’t done there. Ms. Biles subsequently unleashed a separate message that immediately sparked viral outrage: “Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.” Widely seen as body-shaming, the statement — a strange one considering Ms. Gaines is only 5-foot-5 — elicited a collective gasp.
Here’s an incredibly talented woman — the most talented gymnast in history and one who has openly spoken about body positivity and the struggles she’s had with perceptions of her own appearance — openly and unabashedly demeaning another woman’s body.
Not only does this send a troubling and tragic message to young girls, but it also sullies Ms. Biles’ legacy. Beyond the disappointment, though, it’s also evident that Ms. Biles fails to understand the key issues at the core of the underlying debate.
To her credit, the gymnast did issue an apology, but it was days after the social media faux pas and was understandably criticized by many as a public relations stunt motivated by the widespread anger and vitriol caused by her attack on Ms. Gaines.
Still, it was an apology and must be credited as such.
“I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport,” Ms. Biles wrote in her attempt at atonement. ”The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for. These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect.”
The gymnast, who encouraged the implementation of rules that balance inclusion and fairness, went on to say she’s “not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports,” but rejects “singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful.”
However, this is where the situation becomes deeply troubling, exposing the horrific reality that Ms. Biles is missing. Ms. Gaines’ goal isn’t to shame kids. It’s to point out the lack of fairness that continues to persist across America.
Girls and women who have fought vociferously to play in sports and make advancements in other arenas are consistently pushed to the side for the sake of boys and males — and the madness must stop.
Beyond that, there’s a much deeper conundrum: while Ms. Biles is concerned about the spewing of personal attacks, young people struggling with gender dysphoria have been lied to, their families manipulated and, in many cases, their lives irreparably harmed.
We’re sitting here haggling over “public scrutiny” while Ms. Biles has said nothing in this exchange about the broader reality: that the sort of social and medical efforts to try to alter someone’s gender have, if new studies are to be believed, done little to nothing to heal or help them.
In fact, Ms. Biles’ nasty spat with Ms. Gaines was sparked just as the results of a study were released showing, as the Christian Post noted, that the “use of puberty-blocking drugs has no statistically significant positive impact on the depression rates of trans-identified youth struggling with gender dysphoria.”
The study’s lead author is reportedly a proponent of transitioning young people, with critics claiming the results were previously withheld because they weren’t what transgender activists wanted to see.
Last year, a separate study found that trans-identifying adults who went through surgeries to try to align their bodies with self-perceived genders actually had a higher risk of suicide attempts. These individuals were 12 times more likely to experience such issues.
If people are truly concerned about children — or anyone struggling with gender dysphoria — perhaps it’s time to consider the data showing that the perpetual lies being foisted upon adults and youths, alike, have physically, emotionally and even spiritually damaged some innocents.
As for Ms. Gaines, who graciously accepted Ms. Biles apology, she made it clear she still thinks some of the gymnast’s arguments are “nonsensical,” doubling down on her belief that boys competing in girls’ sports is, in itself, humiliating to females.
“To suggest that women and girls must be silent or ignore a boy who is PUBLICLY hurting or humiliating them is wrong,” Ms. Gaines wrote. “You can’t have any empathy and compassion for the girls if you’re ignoring when young men are harming or abusing them. I am not ashamed to be a voice for the voiceless.”
She added, “Women’s sports can’t be used as an excuse for [girls] to center the feelings and validation of men and boys.”
Ms. Gaines deserves to be praised for her willingness to stand up for the truth, not demeaned and body shamed. Furthermore, people such as Ms. Biles should spend more time considering who’s really being damaged in the midst of this complex and ever-evolving issue.
• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Mr. Hallowell is the author of four books.
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