Now why would AOC do something like this?
Riley Gaines has been vocal in holding Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) accountable for her shifting stance on issues of gender identity and pronouns, using social media to point out what she sees as hypocrisy from the progressive congresswoman. Ocasio-Cortez became the subject of widespread conversation on X (formerly Twitter) after users noticed she removed the pronouns “she/her” from her bio. Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer and outspoken advocate for fairness in women’s sports, didn’t let the opportunity pass. She took to X to mock Ocasio-Cortez, writing, “They will pretend they never embraced (or even celebrated) the craziness. Don’t forget who the compliant, virtue-signaling sheep were,” in reference to the congresswoman’s earlier support for the pronoun movement.
As the discussion around Ocasio-Cortez’s removal of her pronouns gained momentum, Gaines continued to call out the contradictions, even tweeting, “We’re winning and it’s glorious” in response to a video showing Ocasio-Cortez apologizing for not including pronouns in her bio—and then later removing them altogether. Gaines humorously questioned, “How will we know what to call AOC now that her pronouns in her bio are gone?!?!?!” highlighting the shifting winds in progressive circles on the issue of gender identity.
This public back-and-forth comes as Ocasio-Cortez has faced increased criticism from conservatives and even moderates within her own party for her strong support of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. Ocasio-Cortez has consistently backed policies allowing biological men who identify as women to compete in women’s sports, an issue that has become a major point of contention in American politics. While she has championed the Equality Act and other federal protections for transgender individuals, many see this as an assault on women’s rights and fairness in competitive sports.
Gaines, who gained national attention after tying with transgender athlete Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA championships, has been one of the most vocal opponents of allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports. She has publicly shared the emotional and physical toll of having to compete against Thomas, recounting how she and other female swimmers were forced to share locker rooms with Thomas, a situation she described as deeply violating. Gaines has since filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, alleging that the organization’s policies on gender identity have violated Title IX protections for women in sports.
Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez’s aggressive stance on transgender rights, particularly in sports, continues to alienate many within her own party. Several Democrats, such as Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), have publicly expressed opposition to allowing trans women to compete in women’s sports, receiving intense backlash from the left. But despite the controversy, these moderates have stuck to their views, signaling a growing divide within the Democratic Party over the issue.
As the debate intensifies, it’s clear that the conversation about transgender rights and women’s sports is far from over. For conservatives like Gaines, the fight is not just about fairness in sports—it’s about standing up for the rights of women and children in a culture that seems increasingly willing to ignore biological realities in favor of progressive ideology.