Stephen A. Smith has inserted himself directly in the middle of the discourse involving Simone Biles, former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines and the inclusion of trans athletes in sports.
Biles, 28, and Gaines, 25, engaged in a back-and-forth via X on Friday, June 6, centered around the rights of trans athletes, during which Gaines equated trans inclusivity to the abuse of former Team USA gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar.
“Respectfully, Gaines I was with you until that last quote,” Smith, 57, said Monday, June 9, on his podcast, “The Stephen A. Smith Show.” “Respectfully, that’s going a bit too far. Talking about transgender women competing in sports in one issue. Using a guy like Larry Nassar — one of the most despicable human beings we’ve ever witnessed on this Earth who molested and abused numerous women, numerous gymnasts, including Biles — to go that low, Gaines you lost all credibility.”
Smith continued, “You could have made your argument without going that far. No matter what Simone Biles said to you, how she may disagree with you on your position, did not warrant you to go that far. Certainly you’re not suggesting that it was okay for her to be molested. Certainly you’re not suggesting it was okay for her to be abused. So why would you say something like that? It’s just cruel.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Gaines for comment.
While Smith was critical of Gaines invoking the name of Nassar, he sided with Gaines on her overall argument.
“The reality is that it is a disservice to women in a lot of people’s eyes that men transitioning to women get to compete in women’s sports,” Smith argued.
He added, “There’s an abundance of women out there who have a right to feel the way that Riley Gaines feels, Simone Biles. Now whether it’s right for me or somebody else to say, it’s a different argument.”
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Gaines, a former swimmer at the University of Kentucky, has become a staunch advocate for keeping trans women out of sports after competing in 2022 against Lia Thomas, the first openly trans woman champion in the NCAA women’s division.
The social media debate between Gaines and Biles started when Gaines alleged a Minnesota high school softball team won the state championship because their “star player is a boy.”
“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race,” Biles responded. “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!!”
Biles continued, “But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!”
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