Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer, was physically attacked at one of the San Francisco State University events where she spoke against transgender inclusion in women’s sports (Chen & Mossburg, 2023). The event was followed by the incident whereby protestors challenged her. Gaines, who was a prominent critic of trans women in women’s swimming, captured the mayhem in a video. The university police are currently investigating; no arrests were made. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy condemned the assault on free speech; PEN America called it a disaster. The event was organized by Turning Point USA, a conservative organization, and this was their first officially recognized event at the university.
In this article, Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer who openly criticizes the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports, is depicted. She allegedly suffered physical abuse during an event at San Francisco State University, which was hosted by conservative organization Turning Point USA. After Gaines, who had tied with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in a championship event, shared her views, the incident took place. The article carries quotes from the House Speaker Kevin McCarthy denouncing the assault on free speech while PEN America characterizes it as a tragedy. The university police are investigating the disturbance, pointing out that no arrests were made, and Turning Point USA will hold another event in a few weeks.
The language used to describe Riley Gaines and the incident is largely consistent with how similar situations involving male athletes are portrayed in the press. The article focuses on Gaines’ athletic history, her stance against the inclusion of transgender athletes, and the alleged assault. The statements of political leaders and advocacy groups, such as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and PEN America, are also part of the wider environment. Terms like “physical assault,” “free speech”, and “disaster” represent the prevalent discourse that is used in referring to such cases involving male and female athletes, which points out the general uniformity in media reporting on both sexes (Hansen, 2018).
The article keeps a neutral tone towards Riley Gaines, presenting her as an ex-NCAA swimmer who has a certain angle on transgender athletes in women’s sports. Objective reporting of the incident of alleged assault lacks overt evaluation of Gaines. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and PEN America’s statements support free speech rather than addressing Gaines’ position directly. First of all, the article refers to the sports organization Turning Point USA as an event organizer but does not directly attribute respect or disrespect to them. All in all, the article discusses the event and its consequences rather than condemning Riley Gaines or any of the organizations.
Gender might have influenced the development of the story in the selected case of Riley Gaines. As a female athlete who voiced opposition to the addition of transgender athletes in women’s sports, Gaines may have been subjected to increased criticism because of societal discussions on gender, identity, and inclusive nature (Olvera & De Dios, 2023). The reaction of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy condemning the incident as an attack on free speech reflects a broader social perspective regarding gender-related issues and controversies within the sports world. The incident highlights the dynamics and challenges in gender issues in sports, which determines how athletes are viewed and their views are perceived by both public and organizations.
References
Chen & Mossburg. (2023). Former college swimmer says she was assaulted at an event opposing the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports. https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/07/us/former-ncaa-swimmer-riley-gaines-assault-san-francisco-state-university/index.html
Hansen, M. (2018). Social Systems Shaping Generation Z (Doctoral dissertation, The College of St. Scholastica).
Olvera, A. K. C., & De Dios, B. M. (2023). Body, Transsexuality, and Sports: The Media Polyphony on “Normalization” in the Case of Three Transsexual Sportswomen. The Journal of Communication and Media Studies, 8(2), 27.
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