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Male dropped request to compete as female swimmer, even as Roanoke College rushed to accommodate
College Fix ^ | OCTOBER 28, 2023 | LOGAN DUBIL

Posted on 10/29/2023 3:59:32 AM PDT by george76

Riley Gaines says Roanoke’s trans athlete is ‘another mediocre male athlete identifying as a woman’

Roanoke College recently joined the list of schools allowing men to compete with the women after a transgender student requested to join the women’s swim team.

However, the student who wanted an opportunity to compete with the women changed his mind before the rule was passed.

The male student is reportedly no longer pursuing his request, even after the school rushed to figure out a way to accommodate him. The process played out as some members of the women’s swim team held a press conference to criticize the male swimmer’s request.

The male swimmer at the Salem, Virginia college “had competed on the men’s swim team as a first-year student, then took a year off from competition before returning to the sport this season,” the college said in a statement.

A College Fix review of the 2021-22 men’s swim roster compared to the 2022-23 swim roster identified only one freshman who was not on the team the following year.

In response to an email Friday asking about the student’s identity, a campus spokesperson told The Fix, “The name you referenced is not the correct name of our transgender student. For safety reasons, we will not be releasing the student’s name.”

The Fix followed-up on Saturday morning and asked for clarification if the name used in the original media inquiry was at one time the name the swimmer went by.

Riley Gaines, an advocate of protecting women’s sports, was present at the “NCAA — Save Women’s Sports!” event organized by Independent Women’s Forum and spoke with The College Fix about its importance.

“It’s refreshing to see a group of girls willing to say enough is enough when they’re faced with an injustice,” Gaines told The Fix via text messaging. “I’m so proud to link arms with them in the fight to save women’s sports.”

At the press conference, Gaines said she “saw first hand the effects” of men competing against women, referencing her own experience swimming against William Thomas, a male University of Pennsylvania swimmer.

It was “just a year and a half ago when we were forced to compete and change in a locker room with Lia (formerly Will) Thomas,” Gaines said at the press conference in early October. “Just as a reminder, Thomas went from 462nd in the men’s category to then winning a national title in the women’s category just one year later.”

She also speculated around the reasoning the trans athlete at Roanoke retracted his decision to compete with the women.

“He quit right before,” Gaines said. “The university knew the press conference was going to happen so I think he was advised to quit.”

The university, however, disputed Gaines’ theory in a statement to The Fix.

“The college did not pressure the swimmer to quit before the press conference, as alleged by Ms. Gaines,” the unsigned statement from the Roanoke College’s Marketing and Communications office reads.

The women’s swim team at Roanoke did not respond to two requests for comment in the past several weeks that asked about the press conference and if the coaches supported the swimmers.

The college said it plans to pursue a “phase-in process” for transgender athletes.

“This means Roanoke College will defer to the policy of the national governing body of each sport regarding student-athlete participation eligibility,” the college stated.

Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. cited the school’s commitment to “supporting our LGBTQ+ community and our student-athletes” as reasoning for adopting the policy.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: athletes; college; gaines; howdidrileyvote; riley; rileygaines; roanoke; roanokecollege; savewomenssports; transathletes; transgender; transgenders; transswimmer
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1 posted on 10/29/2023 3:59:32 AM PDT by george76
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To: george76

“The college said it plans to pursue a “phase-in process” for transgender athletes.”

It’s time the NCAA and other sports bodies change the rules to reflect biology instead of gender. Sports should be XX/XY, not determined how you feel emotionally.


2 posted on 10/29/2023 4:15:50 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (At this point, I would rather have the illegals here than the liberals.)
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To: george76

Maybe no pressure, but I’m betting there was one mother of a quid pro quo.


3 posted on 10/29/2023 4:24:23 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: george76

Probably discovered that swimsuits don’t hide erections.


4 posted on 10/29/2023 4:28:41 AM PDT by Daveinyork
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To: EQAndyBuzz

Just make a third category - ‘Men who can’t cut it as men’.


5 posted on 10/29/2023 4:35:41 AM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: george76

Maybe they weren’t going to let him use the same locker room. Winning first place wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without that incentive for a guy.


6 posted on 10/29/2023 4:41:16 AM PDT by skr (Righteousness exalteth a nation: sin is a reproach to any people. - Proverbs 14:34)
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To: george76
The college said it plans to pursue a “phase-in process” for transgender athletes.

Training trannys takes about four years to complete. Go straight to the pros.

7 posted on 10/29/2023 4:55:45 AM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: george76

Rather than wave the gay flag, these jerks should have a clown horn to honk when they are in the vicinity.


8 posted on 10/29/2023 5:04:30 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Don't be an attention ho. Country Music Stars aren't given Grammys by the retarded, "woke" left. )
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To: george76

Why can’t they just adopt a separate class for these “undecided” folks?


9 posted on 10/29/2023 5:22:29 AM PDT by oldtech
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To: george76

The college admin look like fools over this. Can we now admit there is no such thing as “transgender”? It has become tiresome. That is half the articles here.


10 posted on 10/29/2023 5:32:16 AM PDT by bk1000 (Banned from Breitbart)
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To: Cowgirl of Justice

Maybe they should have three competitive groups, such as Female, Male as well as Transgender, whatever that may turn out to be. be


11 posted on 10/29/2023 6:38:27 AM PDT by Saintgermain
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To: george76

Certainly a sick thing about American culture nowadays is the rush to send virtue signals.


12 posted on 10/29/2023 6:53:21 AM PDT by Dan in Wichita
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To: Cowgirl of Justice

I hope you’re joking. These males should not be accomodated in any way at all. Either they compete against other men or not at all. The “3rd category” is a ridiculous pander that fails to acknowledge biological reality.


13 posted on 10/29/2023 6:57:50 AM PDT by Tea Party Terrorist (NATO is a terrorist organization.)
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To: george76

The girls on that team have to put up with getting their dreams of excelling in athletic competition shoved aside even thought they’re paying

Roanoke:

Tuition & Fees for 2023-2024
Full Time, Year
Total $36,494

That’s pared down to no living expenses straight what they’re paying.

I tell any kid complaining about anything re college- professors tgat are inadequate, roommates foisting their needy disgusting boyfriends into the dorm room, anything- that kid is a consumer tge college owes them as the recipient of that money, customer service, rules and refs

This is not that.


14 posted on 10/29/2023 7:01:27 AM PDT by stanne
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To: george76

to get the boys outta girls sports, you gotta first get the girls outta boys sports ...


15 posted on 10/29/2023 7:08:50 AM PDT by bankwalker (Repeal the 19th ...)
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To: stanne

We don’t need government to get involved. Stay out of it and let it play itself out.

It’s downright stupid allowing this to happen. If the women won’t stand up for themselves it’s on them. Riley Gains has a following. Let it grow at it’s own pace if it does at all. Let the spectators turn away-what’s left of them.


16 posted on 10/29/2023 7:10:08 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (11)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

The women and their parents. Parents don’t guide their kids through these things. What are they so busy doing

These women are paying. The school should be held to account. So many wimps.


17 posted on 10/29/2023 7:35:09 AM PDT by stanne
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To: george76

The moment women refuse to participate, this insanity will stop, but not until then.


18 posted on 10/29/2023 7:53:18 AM PDT by bigfootbob (Arm Up and Live Free!)
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To: george76

Coaches have a responsibility to protect their swimmers, but it appears they value winning more than anything. So much for “building character.” A parent’s first question to a coach on a recruiting will be whether he or she will allow men to compete against women.


19 posted on 10/29/2023 10:14:46 AM PDT by DPMD (ua)
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To: Tea Party Terrorist

Those sickos and the liberals would NEVER agree to that.

Those Buffalo Bill freaks are mentally ill and should be treated like the demented lunatic pariahs that they are and put on the side for people to gawk and laugh at them.


20 posted on 10/29/2023 12:47:48 PM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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