The Supreme Court upheld laws in Idaho and West Virginia that reserve women's sports for biological females, ruling these laws do not violate Title IX. This ruling was celebrated by former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines and Olympic silver medalist MyKayla Skinner, who have been vocal advocates for protecting women's sports.

Gaines, known for her advocacy after tying transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA championships, has called on elite female athletes, including Simone Biles, to unite in support of women's sports. She said, "Let this be a clarion call, not just to Simone, but to every, I think especially elite female athlete, professional female athlete, the likes of Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, Serena Williams, to link arms."

Skinner, a former US Olympic gymnast who won silver in vault at the Tokyo Games, expressed how Biles' previous social media posts against Gaines affected her. "Just being able to try to find my voice and how I could use my voice after Simone had come out against Riley, it had really affected me," Skinner said. She emphasized her desire for her young daughter to have the same athletic opportunities she had, stating, "I have a little daughter, and we are hoping to put her in sports soon, and I just really want her to have everything that I got to have, all the opportunities."

The feud between Biles and Gaines began in June 2025 after Gaines highlighted a biologically male transgender softball pitcher who helped a Minnesota girls’ team win a state championship. Biles responded on social media by mocking Gaines, saying "bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male," sparking a significant cultural debate within the "Save Women's Sports" movement.

Gaines and Skinner's recent statements come one year after this social media conflict, as they continue to advocate for the protection of women's sports following the Supreme Court's ruling.

Sources