Simone Biles was caught in a war of words against former swimmer Riley Gaines regarding the issue of allowing trans athletes into the sport. While Biles found an ally with Stephen A. Smith, who, on his show on Monday, sided with her when Gaines invoked Biles’ trauma as a survivor of serial sexual abuser Larry Nassar and also suggested that Biles may not have won medals had trans athletes competed in her sport.
Though Smith defended Biles on the personal attack, he didn’t co-sign her take on trans inclusion.
“I respect your passion to look out for those you feel are being victimized,” Smith said. “But there are young ladies out there who were born women that feel this is a flagrantly unfair advantage. What about their feelings?”
Biles have advocated for trans athlete to be included in all sports, and believed that Gaines could’ve done something better on her side of things by helping the trans community, instead of raising more issues, like using her tie for fifth place with Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, int he 200-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA championships to become a MAGA media darling.
The debate clearly isn’t slowing down. And with voices like Biles, Gaines, and Smith speaking out, it’s no longer just about sports—it’s about society at large.
“That’s going a bit too far”: Stephen A. Smith Defends Biles From Personal Attack from Gaines
In their war on the internet, Simone Biles suffered quite a personal attack from Riley Gaines when the former swimmer accused Biles of being a witness, while also being a victim, of the sexual advances and abuses of Larry Nassar.
While Stephen A. Smith sided with Gaines a bit regarding the inclusion of trans athletes in women’s sports, he believed her comments went too far that she had to go personal.
“Respectfully, Gaines, I was with you until that last quote,” Smith said on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “That’s going a bit too far. Using a guy like Larry Nassar—one of the most despicable human beings we’ve ever witnessed on this earth—to make your point? You lost all credibility.”
He continued, “No matter what Simone Biles said to you, how she may disagree with your position, it did not warrant you to go that far.”
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Yelle is a broadcast communications graduate from the University of Perpetual Help-Dalta and has pursued a career in television and news writing in Net 25 and Radyo Agila. Some of her works can also be seen through her previous publication in Fastbreak.com.ph.
