DAVIS, Calif — A former college swimmer turned activist spoke at an event on UC Davis' campus and was met with protests Friday night.
Riley Gaines spoke at UC Davis Conference Center about protecting sports for women and excluding transgender women from said sports. The Davis College Republicans, a student organization, hosted the event featuring Gaines.
Gaines addressed an audience of about 150 people, advocating against the participation of transgender women in women sports. The former NCAA swimmer talked about having to compete against a transgender woman, saying it should not be allowed.
She tied for fifth place alongside Lia K. Thomas, the first openly transgender swimmer from the University of Pennsylvania, in 2022.
“The message that is being sent is, we do not matter as women. It is that our privacy, our fairness, our equal opportunities, our safety, our dignity, our feelings, does not matter,” said Gaines.
The event started on time and was not interrupted by protesters outside.
About 100 protesters and a small group of counter-protesters gathered outside the center where Gaines was speaking.
Opponents call Gaines transphobic and say she should not be allowed to speak on campus.
UC Davis says in a statement the university is "dedicated to the First Amendment and the pursuit of knowledge through the free, open and non-violent exchange of ideas."
The university reports most people were allowed into the event, but four people were turned away at the door for refusing to show identification. There were also two reports of assaults, but no one requested medical attention.
University police also tended to a separate report of vandalism. Protesters broke the glass on doors and a window on a campus building a short distance from the event. Graffiti was painted on one building and Egghead statues. No one was arrested at the event.
See UC Davis' full statement on the event below:
“UC Davis is committed to ensuring that all members of our community, including transgender and nonbinary people, are treated with dignity and respect and are able to flourish on our campus. As a public university, UC Davis is dedicated to the First Amendment and the pursuit of knowledge through the free, open and non-violent exchange of ideas. Allowing registered student groups to use campus facilities does not constitute an endorsement by the university of the event, the speakers or the views expressed."
