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 being 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.
