https://www.alainguillot.com/pro-trans-protestor-arrested-at-riley-gaines-speech-at-san-francisco-state/

This past Tuesday, April 8, conservative women’s rights activist Riley Gaines delivered a talk at San Francisco State University—a visit that was met with both fervent support and aggressive opposition.

Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer, rose to prominence in 2022 after sharing her experience of competing against a biological male in NCAA women’s swimming. Since then, she has become a leading voice advocating for the protection of women’s sports and spaces, arguing that allowing males who identify as female to compete against biological women undermines fairness and safety.

Her speech at SFSU was meant to continue that advocacy. But what was intended to be a discussion about preserving women’s rights quickly turned into a scene of confrontation.

Inside the venue, a male protestor began shouting aggressively, refusing to allow Gaines to speak. Campus police were eventually called in to remove and arrest him. The man demanded that Gaines refer to women as “cis-women”—a term often used to distinguish biological women from transgender women, but one that many critics argue reinforces gender ideology and erodes the definition of womanhood.

Outside, a crowd chanted, “Trans women are real women,” echoing the sentiment of progressive activists who support gender self-identification over biological distinction.

But beyond the chants and terminology, a deeper issue is exposed by this incident. Here was a woman—Riley Gaines—advocating for the rights and dignity of women in sports and private spaces. And yet, she was met not just with disagreement, but with hostility and intimidation from a man. This protestor, under the banner of inclusivity, chose to shout down a woman for defending her sex-based rights.

Isn’t this the very kind of behavior feminism has always sought to challenge?

The irony is stark: a male protestor, advocating for men in women’s sports, harassing a woman who dares to say “no.” That’s not activism—it’s misogyny disguised as progressivism.

Women like Riley Gaines should be able to speak freely about issues that directly affect them—without being silenced, shouted down, or threatened. We must be able to have respectful debates on these sensitive topics without resorting to name-calling, arrests, or intimidation.

In the name of equality, let’s not forget who we’re silencing and who we’re empowering. When the right to speak freely becomes a battlefield, the real casualty is democracy itself.

This past Tuesday, April 8, conservative women’s rights activist Riley Gaines delivered a talk at San Francisco State University—a visit that was met with both fervent support and aggressive opposition.

Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer, rose to prominence in 2022 after sharing her experience of competing against a biological male in NCAA women’s swimming. Since then, she has become a leading voice advocating for the protection of women’s sports and spaces, arguing that allowing males who identify as female to compete against biological women undermines fairness and safety.

Her speech at SFSU was meant to continue that advocacy. But what was intended to be a discussion about preserving women’s rights quickly turned into a scene of confrontation.

Inside the venue, a male protestor began shouting aggressively, refusing to allow Gaines to speak. Campus police were eventually called in to remove and arrest him. The man demanded that Gaines refer to women as “cis-women”—a term often used to distinguish biological women from transgender women, but one that many critics argue reinforces gender ideology and erodes the definition of womanhood.

Outside, a crowd chanted, “Trans women are real women,” echoing the sentiment of progressive activists who support gender self-identification over biological distinction.