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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Ocasio-Cortez vs Riley Gaines

194 replies

PopstarPoppy · 30/10/2025 10:53

Wow. Just…wow. It’s so depressing how many female misogynists there are, and how many are in powerful positions.

thehill.com/homenews/media/5576319-ocasio-cortez-mocks-riley-gaines/

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NorthXNorthWest · 30/10/2025 21:10

Dragonasaurus · 30/10/2025 21:04

Adriana Smith was treated appallingly.
Riley Gaines being expected to strip in front of a man, while he was waving his penis around in the women’s changing room counts, in my book as being treated appallingly.
Their race is not relevant in terms of my belief both were treated appallingly.

if you think it’s fine for RG to be treated like this because she’s a blonde white woman, that sounds like a you problem

Riley Gaines is alive an able to advocate for herself. She could leave the room. And she does deserve recognition for standing up Lia. She also has has the privilege of being white in the USA. If we are point scoring compared to Adriana she is an absolute winner. At what point was a man able to take a decision over the use of her body? I'll wait.

Howseitgoin · 30/10/2025 21:11

Dragonasaurus · 30/10/2025 21:04

Adriana Smith was treated appallingly.
Riley Gaines being expected to strip in front of a man, while he was waving his penis around in the women’s changing room counts, in my book as being treated appallingly.
Their race is not relevant in terms of my belief both were treated appallingly.

if you think it’s fine for RG to be treated like this because she’s a blonde white woman, that sounds like a you problem

Firstly, we don't know for a fact Lia Thomas 'waved her penis around'. Gaines' highly motivated testimony isn't exactly a smoking gun.

Secondly, many many women are uncomfortable stripping in front of strangers regardless of sex so if women's uncomfortableness is the standard then it should be applied consistently by providing changing cubicles.

nolongersurprised · 30/10/2025 21:11

Sorciere1 · 30/10/2025 20:51

Give the racism a rest, you don't want to be a Jew or get murdered or chased or hated just for existing.
RG absolutely can be a feminist, no one owns the term. She's pro women. She has conservative values, as do I. The left don't own feminism or even support it right now ...

Agree with this.

AOC is attacking RG because Gaines is very effective. Most Americans - including Democrats - don’t support trans identifying men in women and girls’ sport. In the 2023 Gallup poll 69% overall opposed this, with 55% of Democrats opposing (41% approved, rest didn't know). More democrats didn't want TiMs in female sport cf 2021.

AOC has managed to denigrate every school and college athlete who could only ever dream of being “only fifth” in the country and every mother and father of a daughter who swims.

My daughter used to swim competitively, the effects of male puberty on performance are indisputable and it shows how out of touch AOC is to suggest otherwise.

She’s tone-deaf on this issue.

SisterTeatime · 30/10/2025 21:26

Howseitgoin · 30/10/2025 21:11

Firstly, we don't know for a fact Lia Thomas 'waved her penis around'. Gaines' highly motivated testimony isn't exactly a smoking gun.

Secondly, many many women are uncomfortable stripping in front of strangers regardless of sex so if women's uncomfortableness is the standard then it should be applied consistently by providing changing cubicles.

You seem to be - to quote Riley Gaines - a misogynistic dunce.

Howseitgoin · 30/10/2025 21:32

nolongersurprised · 30/10/2025 21:11

Agree with this.

AOC is attacking RG because Gaines is very effective. Most Americans - including Democrats - don’t support trans identifying men in women and girls’ sport. In the 2023 Gallup poll 69% overall opposed this, with 55% of Democrats opposing (41% approved, rest didn't know). More democrats didn't want TiMs in female sport cf 2021.

AOC has managed to denigrate every school and college athlete who could only ever dream of being “only fifth” in the country and every mother and father of a daughter who swims.

My daughter used to swim competitively, the effects of male puberty on performance are indisputable and it shows how out of touch AOC is to suggest otherwise.

She’s tone-deaf on this issue.

The point you are spectacularly missing is Riley Gaines' anger is actually being mocked not her swimming record. In the tradition of many a far right vitriolic shock jocks who are incentivised to bully minorities via hyperbolic degeneracy fear mongering & victimology tactics (see: The Nazis), RG has distinguished her self in this faux 'job'.

At the end of the day 0.5% of the population aren't anything to write home about in terms of women's displacement in sport.

If RG gave a fig about unfairness in women's sport she would focus her attentions on the lion's share that facilitates it: Poverty. Wealth inequality is a main contributor to the inaccessibility of women's sport. The great irony of bourgeoisie 'white women' complaining about unfairness in sport particularly in elite schools is that if it weren't for poverty restricting women of colour, they would hardly rate let alone place fifth…

SionnachRuadh · 30/10/2025 21:35

.

Ocasio-Cortez vs Riley Gaines
OpheliaWitchoftheWoods · 30/10/2025 21:38

If mixed sex changing is totally normal and fine and no one should mind, (and there's no such thing as sex, and no one knows what sex they are) then wtf are these men bothering to get in the women's space for?

A non consenting woman should not have to get her kit off and gratify a man with her body. Ever. Those who wish are free to get their kit off together in a mixed sex space, have a lovely time, and leave everyone else alone.

nolongersurprised · 30/10/2025 21:49

Howseitgoin · 30/10/2025 21:32

The point you are spectacularly missing is Riley Gaines' anger is actually being mocked not her swimming record. In the tradition of many a far right vitriolic shock jocks who are incentivised to bully minorities via hyperbolic degeneracy fear mongering & victimology tactics (see: The Nazis), RG has distinguished her self in this faux 'job'.

At the end of the day 0.5% of the population aren't anything to write home about in terms of women's displacement in sport.

If RG gave a fig about unfairness in women's sport she would focus her attentions on the lion's share that facilitates it: Poverty. Wealth inequality is a main contributor to the inaccessibility of women's sport. The great irony of bourgeoisie 'white women' complaining about unfairness in sport particularly in elite schools is that if it weren't for poverty restricting women of colour, they would hardly rate let alone place fifth…

Edited

RG is protesting against TiMs in women’s sport, not sure there all the whataboutery came from 🤷‍♀️. A TiM in female swimming was her lived experience.

And she’s very very effective, hence the Democrat’s vitriol. Every time the “spat” is reported, it’s accompanied by a picture of LT next to Gaines, looking like the personification of male advantage in sport 😀.

ETA : and yes, her being mocked for being 5th in America makes those mocking her look very silly

RogueFemale · 30/10/2025 21:52

Llamasarellovely · 30/10/2025 20:49

Three female PMs, Thatcher, May and Truss, as well as Badenoch as leader.

Sorry yes,I'd forgotten May.

LesbianNana · 30/10/2025 21:53

cramptramp · 30/10/2025 11:50

I wasn’t surprised by AOC. I think she’s a horrible person.

She is.

You’d think someone who went from being a bartender to a congresswoman would show a bit more decorum. Her former bartender status made her an easy target for jokes. You’d think she’d have a little more empathy before denigrating another young woman like that. She must know how it feels.

It seems like her go-to tactic to shut down conversation.

Anyway, here’s a taste of what Riley Gaines has actually accomplished: setting records and winning golds.

Riley Gaines is a former collegiate swimmer who earned multiple records during her time at the University of Kentucky, including being a twelve-time NCAA All-American. Notably, she set both the SEC meet and conference record in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:51.51 in 2022 and won gold in the 200-yard freestyle at the same championships with a time of 1:42.62.

Maybe Riley should ask AOC to make her a coffee, just a little cream.

AutumnalCrows · 30/10/2025 21:54

Howseitgoin · 30/10/2025 21:11

Firstly, we don't know for a fact Lia Thomas 'waved her penis around'. Gaines' highly motivated testimony isn't exactly a smoking gun.

Secondly, many many women are uncomfortable stripping in front of strangers regardless of sex so if women's uncomfortableness is the standard then it should be applied consistently by providing changing cubicles.

If you can imagine that some women are uncomfortable changing in front of other women due to modesty or awkwardness or introverted natures or culturally related issues & feelings, then surely to goodness you can imagine how much worse it would be for them to be required to change in front of men?

Yes, safe and secure women-only and women-and-children only changing rooms would be great, if they ARE safe. And the same would be needed in separate, adjacent but SAFELY situated sections for men and men with their children.

But who’s making that happen? Men? When?

Who’s doing the risk assessments and public sector equality duty impact assessments? Men? When?

Meanwhile, men should not be in women’s changing rooms. The law says so.

lcakethereforeIam · 30/10/2025 22:00

'her penis' 😂never gets old

Howseitgoin · 30/10/2025 22:16

AutumnalCrows · 30/10/2025 21:54

If you can imagine that some women are uncomfortable changing in front of other women due to modesty or awkwardness or introverted natures or culturally related issues & feelings, then surely to goodness you can imagine how much worse it would be for them to be required to change in front of men?

Yes, safe and secure women-only and women-and-children only changing rooms would be great, if they ARE safe. And the same would be needed in separate, adjacent but SAFELY situated sections for men and men with their children.

But who’s making that happen? Men? When?

Who’s doing the risk assessments and public sector equality duty impact assessments? Men? When?

Meanwhile, men should not be in women’s changing rooms. The law says so.

But who’s making that happen? Men? When?
Who’s doing the risk assessments and public sector equality duty impact assessments? Men? When?

Perhaps if all the political power amassed by hyperbolic fear mongering about trans people was directed at widespread advocacy for meaningful changes in women's privacy that that might happen but until then you can expect nothing less but feckless changes that not only don't really have any impact improving most women's privacy but serve to increase their harassment particularly of gender non conforming women by the transvestigator police.

ApplebyArrows · 30/10/2025 22:16

I'm afraid the tedious "she's white so we should ignore her opinion" bollocks probably isn't going to wash with many people here, this isn't Tumblr in 2016 and most people have realised that the distortion of intersectionality that is only used to shut people up isn't worth bothering with.

AOC's comments about Gaines finishing 5th have a grim resemblance to the hints made by others amongst the delusionally pro-trans lot that the only reason women don't perform as well in sport as men are that they aren't trying hard enough.

AutumnalCrows · 30/10/2025 22:23

Howseitgoin · 30/10/2025 22:16

But who’s making that happen? Men? When?
Who’s doing the risk assessments and public sector equality duty impact assessments? Men? When?

Perhaps if all the political power amassed by hyperbolic fear mongering about trans people was directed at widespread advocacy for meaningful changes in women's privacy that that might happen but until then you can expect nothing less but feckless changes that not only don't really have any impact improving most women's privacy but serve to increase their harassment particularly of gender non conforming women by the transvestigator police.

Come on now. You’re not trying hard enough to move past a fifth-rate argument.

Vargas · 30/10/2025 22:26

I’m a natural leftie but AOC makes my blood boil. She is destroying the Democrats from within, how can she not see that?!

Howseitgoin · 30/10/2025 22:28

ApplebyArrows · 30/10/2025 22:16

I'm afraid the tedious "she's white so we should ignore her opinion" bollocks probably isn't going to wash with many people here, this isn't Tumblr in 2016 and most people have realised that the distortion of intersectionality that is only used to shut people up isn't worth bothering with.

AOC's comments about Gaines finishing 5th have a grim resemblance to the hints made by others amongst the delusionally pro-trans lot that the only reason women don't perform as well in sport as men are that they aren't trying hard enough.

"this isn't Tumblr in 2016"

Indeed. The thing is white people have been playing identity politics since forever by advancing their own interests via exploitation of minorities that they conveniently pretend not to engage in. It only seems like a new development because:

"When your'e accustomed to privilege equality feels like oppression"….

NotAtMyAge · 30/10/2025 22:28

Howseitgoin · 30/10/2025 20:54

Exactly.

RG is merely a useful wedge as is gender critical ideology effectively acting as a women's gateway to the far right. She either doesn't care (because of the incentives) or doesn't understand the leopards eating faces party aren't about to do women any favours particularly because they blame them & birth control for the 'browning' of America. No second prizes for guessing how they intend to make up for the birth rate decline of white babies.

“I want to dive into an issue more deeply into why targeting trans girls is particularly problematic not just for trans girls but for all of us… Trans people represent 1% of the population and we have spent so many resources and time figuring out how to more finely exclude them… and I’ve started to realize that a lot of these proposals here involve invasion of privacy of all women.” More recently, in a House hearing on a Republican bill to ban trans people from sports, Ocasio-Cortez delivered a searing rebuke: “Republicans, who have voted consistently against the Violence Against Women Act, who have taken the rights of all women to have control over their own body, who as women are bleeding out in parking lots, now want to pretend today that they care about women. And why? To open up genital inspection on little girls across this country in the name of attacking trans girls. We have two words. Not today.”

https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/aoc-to-anti-trans-swimmer-riley-gaines

Unlike RG, AOC knows exactly what time it is…

Replace "trans girls" with the accurate term "boys" and see what nonsense AOC talks. However young, no male is any kind of "girl" and should not be competing in female sport. Male physical advantage over females begins in the womb and is turbocharged by puberty.

nolongersurprised · 30/10/2025 22:30

ApplebyArrows · 30/10/2025 22:16

I'm afraid the tedious "she's white so we should ignore her opinion" bollocks probably isn't going to wash with many people here, this isn't Tumblr in 2016 and most people have realised that the distortion of intersectionality that is only used to shut people up isn't worth bothering with.

AOC's comments about Gaines finishing 5th have a grim resemblance to the hints made by others amongst the delusionally pro-trans lot that the only reason women don't perform as well in sport as men are that they aren't trying hard enough.

The mocking of 5th position also denigrates the efforts of millions of American parents who are getting up at 4am, 6 days a week to take their child to swimming training. These parents are giving up weekends for swim meets - they know their child isn’t going ever going to be in top 10 in the USA. It mocks these families’ aspirations and efforts.

Whichever democrat “think tank” decided attacking Gaines was going to win over hearts and minds is out of touch.

SionnachRuadh · 30/10/2025 22:32

As far as Sandy Cortez goes, many of her critics say she's more interested in being a social media influencer than an effective member of Congress. But maybe that misses the point. She's a digital native in a party with an ancient leadership, and has a Trumpian gift for publicity.

But even in her own terms, she makes mistakes. I don't think she's forgotten the backlash she got when she tried to sneakily remove the pronouns from her bio. And, for someone who wants to be populist, her pandering to insane activists, combined with her irrational hate boner for Riley Gaines, has put her on the wrong side of an 80-20 issue.

Dragonasaurus · 30/10/2025 22:33

Dragonasaurus · 30/10/2025 15:00

@PollyNomial , both you and AOC have seen fit to address this with personal attacks rather than making an actual argument. So, you have the opportunity….

Women’s sports were instigated because the biological differences between male and female bodies mean that it is pretty much always unfair to expect males and females to compete on level terms. Male advantage does not disappear upon transition, skeleton geometry and bone length can never be changed, just as transition doesn’t give men the better colour vision that most women have. The vast majority of sports favour characteristics where males have an advantage. Can you explain why you think it is fair to allow someone with these inherent advantages into the female category?

Edited to add, I’m not really expecting a response - surprise me?

Edited

Strange how nobody supporting transwomen (men) in women’s sport seems keen to answer this…….or maybe not 🙄

Howseitgoin · 30/10/2025 22:36

Dragonasaurus · 30/10/2025 21:08

@Howseitgoin maybe you can answer my question from earlier, Polly doesn’t seem to have an answer

I'm in support of restricting women's elite sports to those who don't have a male bodied advantage.

In terms of non elite sports, my view is it depends on the individual concerned in terms of safety & advantage.

nauticant · 30/10/2025 22:37

Who would have guessed there'd be bigotry on display from AOC supporters?

lcakethereforeIam · 30/10/2025 22:41

AOC nastiness reminds me of when I used to watch PMQs. This was when the shiny posh boy was PM and I staunchly supported Labour. It was always so disappointing. The questions from the opposition never got answered, were rarely even referenced in the reply. It was so inane. An utter waste of time. Like 'no debate', rather than make an effort to work together for an equitable solution. I really hate the adversarial system. Although PMQs, and Twitter spats, are theatre, playing to their base but bring the worse out in their base too. I wish they'd think about the effect on some of the audience especially in the US with its easy access to lethal weaponry.

Helleofabore · 30/10/2025 23:38

Competitive swimmers change in front of other female swimmers. Their swimming costumes take a long time to get into. I don’t believe that the US college system provided private provisions for any female swimmer to change in for their modesty.

Numerous female swimmers testified about how long their bodies were exposed to Thomas and the fact that Thomas had a fully working penis because Thomas changed in front of them. But maybe we should dismiss their testimony because they are the wrong sort of women.

I believe communal changing was expected in these competitive college events.

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