This month marks the three-year anniversary of Riley Gaines’ notable tie with Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championships. At that time, Thomas, formerly known as Will Thomas, was celebrated by some as a “civil rights icon” in sports, participating in interviews with major media outlets like ESPN, NBC News, and “Good Morning America.” Gaines, an aspiring dentist, had to wait to receive her trophy until Thomas completed various photo opportunities.
Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape has changed significantly. Following a failed attempt to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Thomas is now facing multiple lawsuits against the NCAA, the Ivy League, and the University of Pennsylvania, initiated by Gaines and other female swimmers who shared facilities with Thomas. Additionally, the Department of Education is investigating Penn for potential Title IX violations.
Gaines has emerged as a conservative sports civil rights figure, with a proposed bill named after her making its way through the Georgia legislature, where her tie with Thomas occurred. Other states are also taking measures to restrict transgender participation in women’s sports, and former President Donald Trump signed an executive order to prohibit it at the national level. Recent data indicates that a majority of Americans oppose transgender inclusion in women’s and girls’ sports, with the issue influencing voters in the 2024 election.
“I think we should send a thank-you note to people like Will Thomas, I really do, signed and sealed by me. I will sign the thank-you note, I will write it, because I believe he handed us the election,” Gaines stated.
She noted, “There was a lot wrong with Joe Biden, his administration, and the Democratic Party as a whole outside of the sports issue, but this was the perfect visual. It’s like the South Park episode. It illustrated concerns many of us had for a long time, making them a reality.” A national exit poll by the Concerned Women for America legislative action committee revealed that 70% of moderate voters considered Trump’s stance against transgender boys and men participating in girls’ and women’s sports and using their bathrooms to be significant. Furthermore, 6% identified it as their top issue, while 44% deemed it “very important.”
Trump also performed well among women voters, particularly younger women. While Gaines is grateful to Thomas for highlighting the issue, she also expresses sympathy for the athlete and has attempted to reach out to Thomas. “I’ve reached out several times, especially at first. Honestly, I hate to say it, but I reached out apologetically, feeling the need to explain myself and almost apologize for my feelings.
