Trans teen loses volleyball scholarship after Riley Gaines unleashes right-wing mob against her

A trans high school volleyball player has reportedly lost her college scholarship after being outed by anti-trans activist Riley Gaines.

Sources say the 17-year-old had verbally committed to accept one of a handful of scholarships offered by the University of Washington (UW). It’s not clear how Gaines even got hold of the news, but on December 13, she outed the volleyball player on X, decried her achievement, misgendered her, and called on UW to revoke her scholarship.

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She accused women of “expediting their own erasure.”

“Male takes women’s volleyball scholarship at @UW … a soon-to-be Big 10 school,” Gaines wrote. “Stealing the already few opportunities for women at the collegiate level. How can he be proud? @UWVolleyball should rescind the scholarship if they really care about women. He can play with the men.”

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Gaines even posted a photo of the teen to her more than 860,000 followers, along with a screenshot from what appears to be an old article about her as a tween that discusses her trans identity.

Three days later, Gaines tweeted again to celebrate that UW volleyball had allegedly revoked the trans athlete’s scholarship. Continuing to misgender the teen, Gaines claimed that “sources say” the coaches did not know she was trans and that her family “concealed” her trans identity during the recruiting process. While Gaines didn’t post proof of these claims, she was clearly happy about causing a child to lose her scholarship, ending her post by declaring, “The power of public opinion & accountability.”

Gaines not only seems to have caused the loss of the teen’s scholarship, but she has also unleashed a right-wing army of hate against her. The right-wing media has continued to publish anti-trans hate posts about her. The anti-trans sports organization ICONS has also been driving a truck around declaring “Girls scholarships are for #GirlsOnly” in response.

Meanwhile, LGBTQ+ activists have been fervently defending the teen. Ari Drennen, LGBTQ+ program director for Media Matters, posted on X that “The teenager that these obsessives freaks outed allegedly transitioned before puberty, so there’s no question of unfair advantages in sports. But the anti trans panic was never for one moment about fairness.”

The teenager that these obsessives freaks outed allegedly transitioned before puberty, so there's no question of unfair advantages in sports. But the anti trans panic was never for one moment about fairness. https://t.co/J4rDcCnoYf

— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) December 17, 2023

Alejandra Caraballo, a queer activist and civil rights attorney, called Gaines a sociopath and accused her of using the concept of women’s rights “to bully and harass trans people with her rabid mob.”

Gaines responded, “A young boy and his family lied, falsified/concealed crucial information, & abused a system for illegal personal gain, but IM the sociopath for calling a spade a spade…makes sense. Women’s scholarships are only for women.”

A young boy and his family lied, falsified/concealed crucial information, & abused a system for illegal personal gain, but IM the sociopath for calling a spade a spade…makes sense

Women's scholarships are only for women https://t.co/bDgb2DsgYV

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) December 16, 2023

In a separate post, Caraballo also slammed Gaines for “inciting a mob to bully a teenager” and asked if she was planning to “incite more bomb threats and death threats.”

What are you going to do? Incite more bomb threats and death threats? Get a hold of yourself. You're inciting a mob to bully a teenager. pic.twitter.com/4XeF0idQCD

— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) December 17, 2023

Gaines has been crusading against the rights of trans athletes since she tied for fifth place with trans University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas in the women’s 200-meter freestyle final at the National Collegiate Athletics Association swimming and diving championships. Gaines has claimed that she was robbed of some sort of victory by having to share fifth place with a trans woman.

Social media users have ripped into both Gaines and ICONS for bullying and harassing a teenage girl.

You’re really doing all of this because you came in fifth?! Really?

— Embedded In Yo Brain (@NotArguinWitchu) December 17, 2023

Can you just be human for a second and leave this kid alone?

— mara wilikers 🏳️‍⚧️ (@marawhoops) December 17, 2023

You are a disgusting horrible excuse for a human being. May karma hit you hard.

— pokemondundee.sol🌈🇺🇦 🏳️‍⚧️ (@pokemondundee) December 17, 2023