Bomb threat causes library evacuation after anti-trans activist Riley Gaines attacked it online

A library and nearby elementary school in Davis, California were evacuated Monday after staff received a bomb threat in a phone call that included anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech. 

It was just hours after transphobic swimmer Riley Gaines posted the library’s phone number with instructions to her followers “to do their thing.”

Related:

The ban on trans women in chess is not just transphobia. It’s misogyny.

Clearly, it isn’t transness itself turning trans women into superpowered chess studs. It’s the fact that trans women were assigned male at birth.

The day before, the Yolo County chapter of the extremist group Moms for Liberty hosted a “Forum on Fair and Safe Sport for Girls” in the public library’s meeting space. A capacity crowd filled the room.

Stay connected to your community

Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter.

Daily

Weekly

Good News

Two minutes into the first presentation, the opening speaker referred to “men” playing on girls’ sports teams, earning an audible reaction from several people in the audience.

California Public Library Silences Female Athlete pic.twitter.com/dHYaxBFlr1

— CA Family Council (@CAFamily) August 21, 2023

After the speaker repeated herself, a library staff member warned she would be asked to leave if she continued to “misgender people throughout the entire meeting.”

“If that happens, we’ll ask the person who said it to leave immediately,” said the staff member.

The room erupted in applause.

“Trans women are women!” shouted one audience member.

“California state law recognizes trans women as women,” the librarian explained to one of the meeting’s moderators. “They are protected under state law. Our policy talks about treating people with respect. And if you are misgendering somebody, that is not respectful.”

After an extended argument over free speech rights, the woman misgendering trans athletes left the room.

Within hours, many conservatives online were sharing video of the incident and demanding the library be held to account for infringing on the transphobic speaker’s right to be wrong.

On Monday morning, Gaines added her voice to the chorus of anti-trans rhetoric, linking to the same video and adding a call to action.

“This is ridiculous, but not shocking,” Gaines posted. “A female athlete silenced for calling a spade a spade. They won’t even engage in a civil conversation. Props to this gal for sticking her ground.”

“Do we know the librarians name and/or phone number? We need silent majority to do its thing.”

This is ridiculous, but not shocking….a female athlete silenced for calling a spade a spade. They won't even engage in a civil conversation. Props to this gal for sticking her ground.

Do we know the librarians name and/or phone number? We need silent majority to do its thing https://t.co/EzlqGDbTZo

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) August 21, 2023

Gaines’ tweet to her 700,000+ followers kicked the right-wing media apparatus into overdrive, with LibsofTikTok, Fox News, Timcast, the Washington Examiner, and OutKick amplifying the story and referencing Gaines, according to Media Matters.

Hours later, library staff received a bomb threat in a phone call laced with anti-LGBTQ+ slurs. Police deemed the threat credible and evacuated the library and a nearby elementary school.

It was unclear if Gaines had actually watched the video she linked to. The librarian in question offers his name willingly to the offended speaker.

Gaines became a celebrity among anti-trans activists in 2022 after tying for fifth place with trans swimmer Lia Thomas in the women’s 200m freestyle final at the National Collegiate Athletics Association swimming and diving championships. 

Days after she rallied her followers to harass the library, the aggrieved swimmer is threatening to sue news outlets unsympathetic to her cause, describing reported facts as “libel & character assassination.”

This is libel & character assassination. You are the only one inciting violence & outrage by this post, but I understand thats the goal. Did you not learn anything from the last time you were sued?

Dont worry about changing the article, its already been screenshotted. Lawyer up. https://t.co/4ogLGwhyVY

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) August 25, 2023