Riley Gaines rose to fame not from her own athletic ability which was lacking but by claiming she was cheated out of a win by tieing for fifth place with a trans woman. Both of them got beaten for the first through fourth spots by other women. She owes her fame and living to being a virulent anti-trans activist, spreading hate and misinformation everywhere she can. She is held up as the wronged party because she tied with a trans woman for fifth place. The anti-trans activists use her to claim that trans women have an unfair advantage and harm women’s sports. But the facts show the opposite. Hugs. Scottie
Longtime fencer Liz Kocab said her continued participation in competitions is her “way of saying thanks to USA Fencing.”
Anti-trans activist Riley Gaines took a swipe at a 71-year-old trans athlete who just became an eight-time world fencing champion.
Liz Kocab recently won the women’s 70+ division in the Veteran Fencing World Championships and now claims victories in the 50s, 60s, and 70+ age categories. In a post-victory interview with USA Fencing, Kocab said her continued participation in competitions is her “way of saying thanks to USA Fencing.” With tears in her eyes, she said winning “never gets old” and is “always special.”
She is trying to make October 10 “Real Women’s Day” because transphobia is her whole personality now.
But Gaines decided to rain on the parade by insulting and misgendering Kocab on X, writing that “winning a title as a male in the women’s category doesn’t make you a champion. It makes you an entitled cheat.”
Gaines’s followers joined in the heckling in the responses, calling Gaines a hero and referring to Kocab as an “old conman,” a “weirdo cheat,” and a “coward,” among other insults.
Liz Kocab (male) wins his 8th Fencing World Championship title…in the women's category
Winning a title as a male in the women's category doesn't make you a champion. It makes you an entitled cheat. pic.twitter.com/9dRNRydtUE
USA Fencing adopted a trans-inclusive policy in 2022, allowing athletes to compete as their gender, with varied participation requirements depending on the age level.
At the time, USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews declared unwavering support for trans fencers: “It is critical that we protect the rights of nonbinary and transgender athletes in fencing. Even as we plan to conduct more scientific research into the physiological effects of gender transition as they pertain specifically to the sport of fencing, we remain unanimously and steadfastly supportive of transgender athletes having their place in fencing. To be clear, even as this issue evolves, our support of transgender athletes will not waver.”
Gaines, on the other hand, 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 200m freestyle final at the National Collegiate Athletics Association swimming and diving championships. She has claimed she was robbed of some sort of victory by having to share fifth place with a trans woman.
Most recently, Gaines celebrated her own created holiday, “Real Women’s Day,” which she established on October 10th since the Roman numerals for 10/10 are XX, symbolizing for Gaines that “real” women have XX chromosomes.
Speaking at Penn State that day, Gaines yelled to trans rights protestors: “What are you so scared of? The truth? Science? Common sense? Logic? Reasoning? I’d love to hear your argument here because what I’m here to talk about is men are men, women are women, and you cannot change your sex. It’s that simple.”
I am an older gay guy in a long-term wonderful relationship. My spouse and I are in our 36th year together. I love politics and news. I enjoy civil discussions and have no taboo subjects. My pronouns are he / him / his and my email is Scottiestoybox@gmail.com
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5 thoughts on “Riley Gaines calls 71-year-old trans fencing champion an “entitled cheat””
I’m certain Ms. Gaines can get a full ride at a FL university, or at Liberty U or one of the others like it. This “I got cancelled” stuff is just silly. And 5th place is still 5th place whether she tied with someone, or she was the only one.
Hi Ali. I agree. And she would love it and fit it with the maga school leaders. She would find a lot of the student body wouldn’t like her, as they tend to be much more progressive as most colleges are. As you may remember, Tildeb used Gaines to show that trans women have an unfair advantage in women’s sports. Either he didn’t know or did not care that it was a tie for fifth place, and they both were beaten by 4 other women. That part is never mentioned on right wing media. Right wing media and the anti-trans / TERFs also never mention the hours of training and practice Lia Thomas puts in, how much effort she puts into the sport. Hugs. Scottie
Oh, I remember. Ms. Gaines even “graced” Kansas with her presence in support of Kris Kobach and our recent you-can’t-pee-here legislation.
What a piece of work she is. Such a waste, really; she’s attractive, Aryan, and likely at least somewhat intelligent. She could probably do some good in the world somewhere, but instead she does this for wingnut welfare.
Hi Ali. What is horrible is how she is able to make a media life on a flat out lie. She clearly was not good as a professional swimmer, she never won awards or events. So she lashed out. And used right wing media to start a new way to earn a living, targeting a minority for abuse, simply because she was not good enough to win. Look I walk with a cane or a walker, I have bad bone damage, this is like me attacking a long distance trans runner because they do a better run than I do. Like I said no one on the right admits two things, they were both beaten by four other women, and the trans woman Lia Thomas works her butt off while still keeping up with her studies to do her sport. It is so frustrating to me how this is playing on in right wing media. To me this is like blaming Emmett Till because a white woman made up a complaint story about him. I mean no disrespect for Emmett Till and what happened to him. But the right doesn’t care about the truth or nuance. Hugs. Scottie
I’m not certain anyone would take this as disrespect to Emmett Till; it’s much the same thing. Ms. Gaines has put Ms. Thomas and others in danger with her lies.
Riley GainesPhoto: Screenshot
Scottie's Playtime 
I’m certain Ms. Gaines can get a full ride at a FL university, or at Liberty U or one of the others like it. This “I got cancelled” stuff is just silly. And 5th place is still 5th place whether she tied with someone, or she was the only one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Ali. I agree. And she would love it and fit it with the maga school leaders. She would find a lot of the student body wouldn’t like her, as they tend to be much more progressive as most colleges are. As you may remember, Tildeb used Gaines to show that trans women have an unfair advantage in women’s sports. Either he didn’t know or did not care that it was a tie for fifth place, and they both were beaten by 4 other women. That part is never mentioned on right wing media. Right wing media and the anti-trans / TERFs also never mention the hours of training and practice Lia Thomas puts in, how much effort she puts into the sport. Hugs. Scottie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I remember. Ms. Gaines even “graced” Kansas with her presence in support of Kris Kobach and our recent you-can’t-pee-here legislation.
What a piece of work she is. Such a waste, really; she’s attractive, Aryan, and likely at least somewhat intelligent. She could probably do some good in the world somewhere, but instead she does this for wingnut welfare.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Ali. What is horrible is how she is able to make a media life on a flat out lie. She clearly was not good as a professional swimmer, she never won awards or events. So she lashed out. And used right wing media to start a new way to earn a living, targeting a minority for abuse, simply because she was not good enough to win. Look I walk with a cane or a walker, I have bad bone damage, this is like me attacking a long distance trans runner because they do a better run than I do. Like I said no one on the right admits two things, they were both beaten by four other women, and the trans woman Lia Thomas works her butt off while still keeping up with her studies to do her sport. It is so frustrating to me how this is playing on in right wing media. To me this is like blaming Emmett Till because a white woman made up a complaint story about him. I mean no disrespect for Emmett Till and what happened to him. But the right doesn’t care about the truth or nuance. Hugs. Scottie
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not certain anyone would take this as disrespect to Emmett Till; it’s much the same thing. Ms. Gaines has put Ms. Thomas and others in danger with her lies.
LikeLiked by 1 person