Swimmer Riley Gaines attacked by a transgender man during a speech on women's rights
The athlete had to barricade herself in a room for three hours to avoid being assaulted further.
Eventbrite elimina de su plataforma un evento sobre deporte femenino de Riley Gaines y lo tilda de discriminatorio | Wikimedia/ Gage Skidmore de Surprise, AZ, Estados Unidos de América
Famed NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines was attacked at San Francisco State University by a transgender man while giving a speech on women's rights in sports.
According to Gaines' husband, Louis Barker, a man wearing a dress managed to evade police protection and hit the athlete several times. "She told me she was hit multiple times by a guy in a dress. I was shaking. It made me that mad,” he said. “It makes me sick to feel so helpless about it. She was under police protection and was still hit by a man wearing a dress," Barker said.
Gaines was hoping to share her personal story about how it has affected her competing against a biological man as she has done on other college campuses. This time, however, she was confronted by a crowd shouting and threatening her.
The athlete had to barricade herself in a room at the university for almost three hours after one of the protesters managed to physically assault her.
"speak louder"
"Riley was violently accosted, shouted at, physically assaulted, and barricaded in a room by protestors. It is stunning that in America in 2023, it is acceptable for biological male students to violently assault a woman for standing up for women’s rights," said Gaines' agent, Eli Bremer.
Through social networks, the swimmer expressed that what happened to her is proof that indeed women need to have separate and protected spaces. She also assured that this incident will not stop her from sharing her story.
"Still only further assures me I'm doing something right. When they want you silent, speak louder," she shared alongside a video of the moment when a crowd can be heard shouting at her.
The University Police Department (UPD) has assured that an investigation into the incident is already underway.
"We are conducting an ongoing investigation into the situation. There were no arrests related to the event. The disruption occurred after the conclusion of the event which made it necessary for UPD officers to move the event speaker from the room to a different, safe location," the UPD said in a statement.
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