Visciously anti-trans activist Riley Gaines recently revealed that her crusade against trans athletes is a strategy to make overall trans rights crumble. A recent New York Times profile of the former collegiate swimmer who has used tying for 5th place in a 2022 meet with trans competitor Lia Thomas to build a career as a right-wing influencer explained how Gaines positions have become increasingly radical, growing from outrage over Thomas ability to compete in a womens race to a belief that trans people do not actually exist at all. Related Schools forfeit matches against volleyball team with trans player the president complained about In 2022, she used female pronouns for Ms. Thomas and emphasized that she affirmed her gender identity, the Times explained. I am in full support of her and full support of her transition and her swimming career and everything like that, she told The Daily Wire days after the race. Now, offensiveness is a part of her brand.Indeed, it is almost shocking now to see that Gaines once acknowledged at least some nuance in the conversation. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In comparison, she recently told right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk, This is the most basic of truths: man and woman. Its the sheer essence of humanity, a truth we have never struggled to understand in the nearly 250 years weve been established as a country, and certainly much longer than that. Hate to break it to every single person listening to this, you are all here from man and woman, and that is what were being asked to deny.She also told Kirk, The gender ideology movement as a whole really is an attempt to normalize pedophilia.Her extreme rhetoric, along with that of her party, has contributed to views against trans athletes becoming increasingly mainstream, as the Times put it. The rights fearmongering has succeeded at shifting the conversation on trans athletes, with many major universities and organizations caving to the administrations anti-trans sports mandates and even some Democratic politicians openly admitting they are against trans women playing on womens teams. And now Gaines has admitted that the sports issue is just a way in to toppling trans rights overall. The gender ideology movement is a house of cards, and I believe its lying on that sports issue, she told the Times. This will be the card that makes all of it crumble.The strategy, the profile explained, hinges on the idea that if people accept that trans women shouldnt participate in sports, then they inherently accept that they are not fully women, which will then lead to a toppling of their rights in other arenas.Gaines motivation for doing all of this is unclear, but she has certainly risen to prominence through the war shes waged. She also says openly that the focus on trans athletes is a ruse to push trans people out of public life entirely, i.e. if the Supreme Court says trans people can (or even must) be discriminated against in sports then her friends will argue we also have no rights anywhere else https://t.co/LIAH14u9gH Gillian Branstetter (@GBBranstetter) August 27, 2025The profile also called out Gaines for seemingly making up a story about an interaction she allegedly had with a transgender University of Kentucky coach. Gaines said at the tournament where Thomas competed, she found the coach crying over the turmoil. She claimed she misgendered the coach and told him that no one cares how you feel and that the coach then filed a harassment claim against her with the school. To Ms. Gaines, it was a story that depicted her speaking harshly or boldly to a transgender person, and then in turn being victimized by him, the Times said.However, the writer investigated those claims and found no record of a harassment complaint against Gaines. A spokesperson for the coach also said he never filed a complaint and doesnt remember that moment between him and Gaines happening at all.But the Times also pointed out that Gainess audiences welcome stories like this, whether they are true or not. And Gaines, it seems, has realized exactly what she needs to say to rile up her fans.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.