'I feel absolutely vindicated': Riley Gaines hails Supreme Court's women's sports ruling

WASHINGTON, DC: Former NCAA swimmer and prominent women's sports advocate Riley Gaines said she feels "absolutely vindicated" after the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, June 30, that states may restrict transgender individuals from participating in girls' and women's sports, calling the 6-3 decision a "clarion call" for elite female athletes to unite around the issue.

In a video response to the ruling, Gaines said that she and other advocates had faced "some pretty horrific campaigns" for taking their stance in recent years, including "totally false" headlines, intense criticism, and public pressure. 

 Riley Gaines calls on Caitlin Clark and Serena Williams to 'link arms' after SCOTUS ruling

"I feel absolutely vindicated. I feel, of course, excited. I feel optimistic about the future. But I think the feeling that I feel the most of is vindicated,” Gaines said. 

The 26-year-old used the moment to call on some of the country's highest-profile female athletes to rally behind the decision.

"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, et cetera, et cetera, Serena Williams, to link arms," she said.

Riley Gaines says SCOTUS' ruling will have lasting impact

Gaines was emphatic that the significance of the ruling extends far beyond those who have been publicly fighting the battle.

"This is a really big decision that has lasting impact, not just for our generation, for the things that people like me and certainly Michaela and even Simone have accomplished, but for little girls like my daughter," she said, urging the female sporting community to treat the ruling not as a conclusion but as a starting point.

Gaines also addressed personal attacks she has faced over the years while advocating for the issue, including body-shaming comments made about her. "I feel vindicated today," she said.

SCOTUS rules 6-3 in favor of state laws restricting trans athletes from female sports

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that states can ban transgender women from competing in female school and college sports.

The court considered cases from students in two different states who had challenged bans on participation. The two states, Idaho and West Virginia, enacted laws that required public school and college sports teams to compete in accordance with their sex recorded at birth.

One of the two challenges said the ban violates equal rights protections in the US Constitution. The other said it contradicts civil rights laws.

More than two dozen states have enacted bans since Idaho did so in 2020. 

Under those state bans, a transgender woman — a biological male who identifies as a woman — is not permitted to compete in female sports at schools and colleges.

President Donald Trump celebrated the SCOTUS' decision in a Truth Social post as a "BIG WIN."

He wrote, "BIG WIN: The United States Supreme Court just RULED AGAINST MEN PLAYING IN WOMEN’S SPORTS. Wow! That takes that ridiculous situation off the table!!!"