Riley Gaines: Former University of Kentucky All-American swimmer, 12-time All-American and SEC champion, now an activist for women's sports and sex-based protections who works with the Independent Women's Forum and Leadership Institute.
What this episode covers
Riley Gaines walks Joe Rogan through her swimming career and the 2022 NCAA Championships where she tied transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and was denied the trophy for a photo op. She describes locker-room experiences, university silencing tactics, and how being personally impacted pushed her into activism. The conversation expands into a wide-ranging critique of gender ideology, COVID-era mandates, media bias, Big Tech censorship, immigration, and cultural decline. Gaines frames her work as advocating for fairness, privacy, and the legal definition of 'woman,' citing legislation she helped pass in multiple states.
Recommended on this episode
Brave Books
Brave Books
“use something like Brave books which is phenomenal group and organization that produced these like proog God pro country Pro America um Pro family wholesome books”— Riley Gaines
The guest's own work
Swimming Against the Current: Fighting for Common Sense in a World That's Lost Its Mind
Riley Gaines
“I've got a book that has just dropped it is being reled at least in May ... it's called swimming against the current uh fighting for common sense in a world that's lost its mind”— Riley Gaines
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
1984
George Orwell
“if anyone has read 1984 or look had a a brief understanding of History like you said you will understand what it means when we start saying 2 plus 2 is five”— Riley Gaines
Nemi Skincare
Nemi Skincare
“so don't use Dove use something like neimi skincare”— Riley Gaines
XX-XY Athletics (Yakam apparel)
XX-XY Athletics
“or don't wear don't shop at Target use something like yakam apparel or unitis”— Riley Gaines
Big reveals from this episode
- Gaines and Lia Thomas tied to the hundredth in the 200 freestyle, but officials gave Thomas the single trophy 'so it's in Leah's hands' for photos, telling Gaines she'd be mailed one.
- Gaines says athletes were sent to training to learn how to use 'she/her' pronouns and accept the situation as college seniors.
- Claims University of Pennsylvania told uncomfortable teammates to seek counseling 'resources' to re-educate themselves about male genitalia in the locker room.
- Recounts a Roanoke-area college where a male swimmer allegedly told the women's team he would kill himself if they voted no, flipping 13 of 17 votes.
- Says she was held at San Francisco State for hours by protesters demanding ransom while police would not intervene.
- Helped develop legislation defining 'woman' that has passed in Kansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.
- Testified before Congress; says a Democrat witness argued women should 'learn how to lose more gracefully.'
Worth remembering
- Gaines swam about 15,000 yards (~10 miles) per day, six hours daily, three hours before 8 a.m.
- Lia Thomas previously swam three years on the Penn men's team as Will Thomas, ranked 462nd nationally among men the prior year.
- The NCAA's transgender policy required only 12 months of hormone replacement therapy, in place since 2010.
- Gaines cites a study claiming 94% of female C-level executives were former athletes.
- Claims 47 biological males are housed in California women's prisons versus one woman moved to a men's facility.
- Describes a Dove Super Bowl commercial featuring a girl swimmer that she says quietly hid replies about keeping men out of women's sports.
- States Bud Light lost an estimated $27 billion after its marketing controversy.
- References a sitting Supreme Court Justice declining to define 'woman' on the grounds of not being a biologist.