Simone Biles Faces Backlash Over Resurfaced 2017 Tweet on Transgender Athletes

In 2025, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles engaged in a heated online feud with former NCAA swimmer and conservative commentator Riley Gaines over the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports. Biles criticized Gaines as a 'sick bully' and 'sore loser' for opposing transgender athletes competing in female categories, suggesting instead the creation of a separate transgender category in sports. Gaines retaliated by resurfacing a 2017 tweet from Biles, which acknowledged the unfair advantage biological males have in women's sports, thereby challenging Biles' current stance. The dispute intensified following a Minnesota high school softball team, with a transgender male pitcher leading the girls' team to a state championship, which Gaines publicly criticized. This controversy highlights the ongoing national debate over transgender inclusion in sports, with Gaines receiving support from political figures including President Trump, who signed an executive order aimed at keeping men out of women's sports. The feud underscores the complexities and divisions surrounding gender identity and fairness in athletic competition.