♪
>> Ainsley: TODAY MARKS THE 50TH
ANNIVERSARY OF TITLE 9 A LAW
DESIGNED TO PROTECT FAIR
COMPETITION FOR WOMEN.
BUT THE FIGHT IS FAR FROM OVER
AS THE DEBATE OVER TRANSGENDER
ATHLETES RAGES ON.
IN JUST A FEW HOURS, ATHLETES
AND PARENTS AND ADVOCATES AND
ORGANIZATIONS WILL RALLY IN DC
AND OUR NEXT GUEST WILL BE
ATTENDING THE OUR BODIES, OUR
SPORTS RALLY.
FORMER DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN
AND 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
TULSI GABBARD AS WELL AS COLLEGE
ATHLETES REILLY GAINS AND MADDIE
DEVO.
GOOD MORNING LADIES.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> Ainsley: SO REILLY I KNOW YOU
SWAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
KENTUCKY AND YOU’VE HAD A
SUCCESSFUL CAREER,
CONGRATULATIONS AND YOU TIED
WITH LEA THOMAS FOR THE NCAA
CHAMPIONSHIP.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS AND
WHY IS THIS RALLY SO IMPORTANT?
>> RIGHT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I’M
DEFINITELY PASSIONATE ABOUT AS
WELL AS ALL THE OTHER FEMALE
ATHLETES AT THAT MEET.
IT’S JUST INCREDIBLE
DISHEARTENING TO GO INTO A MEET
RACING A BIOLOGICAL MALE AND
KIND OF ALREADY FEELING THAT
DEFEATED FEELING.
SO TO BE HERE AND BE ABLE TO
SPEAK ABOUT THIS, I’M JUST
REALLY PRIVILEGED AND I HOPE I
CAN USE MY VOICE
>> Ainsley: REILLY TO SWIM AT
YOUR LEVEL YOU’VE HAD TO GIVE UP
SO MANY THINGS IN YOUR LIFE TO
SWIM EVERY SINGLE DAY AND IT’S
INCREDIBLE.
SO HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU’RE
COMPETING AGAINST SOMEONE WHO IS
BY LOGICALLY A MAN AND COULD BE
BEATING YOU IN THAT EVENT.
>> RIGHT.
IT’S A TOTAL SLAP IN THE FACE
HONESTLY THE AMOUNT OF SACRIFICE
AND TIME COMMITMENT THAT
SWIMMING TAKES, IT’S A LIFELONG
JOURNEY HONESTLY AND TO HAVE
SOMEONE KIND OF STEP IN WHO
DOESN’T HAVE TO WORK AS HARD,
WHO DOESN’T HAVE TO MAKE THOSE
SAME EXACT SACRIFICES, IT’S
JUST, IT’S A SLAP IN THE FACE
>> Ainsley: MADDIE HOW ABOUT
YOU, YOU’RE SHAKING YOUR HEAD
YES.
YOU ARE A TRACK ATHLETE.
HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED YOU?
>> A HUNDRED PERCENT WHAT SHE
SAID.
YOU PUT IN HOURS AND HOURS TWICE
A DAY, LIFTING, FUELING YOUR
BODY, STAYING ON TOP OF RECOVERY
AND JUST FOR A BIOLOGICAL MALE
TO JUST COME IN AND BE TAKING
THESE PLACES FROM FEMALE
ATHLETES IS DISHEARTENING.
IT’S RIDICULOUS AND I CAN’T
BELIEVE IT’S EVEN SOMETHING THAT
IS HAPPENING.
>> Ainsley: AND WERE YOU WORRIED
ABOUT SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THIS,
ABOUT RETALIATION OR HOW IT
MIGHT MAKE SOME OF YOUR FRIENDS
FEE?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THERE
ARE UNFORTUNATELY CONSEQUENCES
THAT COME ALONG WITH THIS TYOU
KNOW, IT WORRIES YOU FOR FUTURE
JOBS OR WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
SAY ABOUT YOU IN PERSON OR ON
LINE OR ALL THE THINGS THAT COME
ALONG WITH IT BUT I THINK MOST
OF US HERE WOULD AGREE THAT IT
IS WORTH THE FIGHT AND IT IS
WORTH FIGHTING SO THAT FUTURE
FEMALE ATHLETES DON’T HAVE TO.
>> Ainsley: LET’S BRING IN TULSI
GABBARD.
TULSI, THE OUR BODIES OUR SPORTS
RALLY IS AT 11:00 A.M. AT THE
FREEDOM PLAZA IN DC.
I KNOW YOU WILL BE THERE.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO YOU?
>> BECAUSE IT IS THE HEIGHT OF
HYPOCRISY THAT WE ARE IN THIS
PLACE TODAY WHERE THOSE WHO
CLAIM TO BE CHAMPIONS FOR WOMEN
AND CLAIM TO BE FEMINISTS ARE
DENYING OBJECTIVE REALITY AND
TRUTH THAT THERE ARE DUMPSES
BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
SPECIFICALLY BIOLOGICAL
PHYSIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES AND
THAT’S WHAT THESE ATHLETES ARE
FACING, YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF
CRAZY HYPOCRISY AND THIS DENIAL
OF THE TRUTH AND REALITY.
THE ACTION THAT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION’S EXPECTED TO
ANNOUNCE TODAY ESSENTIALLY
ERASES THE PROGRESS THAT TITLE 9
HAS BROUGHT TO WOMEN AND GIRLS
FOR 50 YEARS SETTING US BACK AND
POINTING OUT HOW DANGEROUS IT IS
WHEN WE HAVE THE MOST POWERFUL
PERSON IN THIS COUNTRY DENYING
OBJECTIVE REALITY OF THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
BY LOGICALLY.
IT BASICALLY SAYS THAT THERE IS
NO SUCH THING AS TRUTH, THERE IS
NO SUCH THING AS WOMEN AND WE
CANNOT ALLOW THAT TOEN THAT.
THAT’S’S WHY I’M GOING THERE TO
STAND WITH THESE FEMALE
ATHLETES.
>> Ainsley: TULSI WHAT IS YOUR
MESSAGE TO LAWMAKERS WHAT DO YOU
WANT THEM TO DO.
>> CONGRESS HAS A RESPONSIBILITY
TO TAKE A STAND TO PROTECT WOMEN
AND GIRLS PERIOD.
YES, IN COMPETITIVE SPORTS BUT
IN SO MANY OTHER REALMS AS WELL.
THAT’S WHAT TITLE IX BROUGHT TO
US AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
PROGRESS MADE, BUT EVEN TAKING
IT A STEP FURTHER AND SAYING,
HEY, TO HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES MAKING A
STATEMENT THAT WE DENY THE
OBJECTIVE REALITY OF THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAND,
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FROM BOTH
PARTIES NEED TO BE AS COURAGEOUS
AS THESE FEMALE ATHLETES YOU
JUST HEARD FROM AND SAY, NO.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
WE WILL NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN
FOR TODAY’S ATHLETES AS WELL AS
FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
>> Ainsley: RILEY HOW DID YOU
FEEL ABOUT THE SWIMMING
ORGANIZATION SAY YOU HAVE TO
TRANSITION BEFORE THE AGE OF 12
IF YOU WANT TO COMPETE AS A
BIOLOGICAL MAN.
>> I THINK IT’S A STEP IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION.
OBVIOUSLY HAVING THIS AGE OF 12
YEARS OLD IS A BIT SCARY AND IT
DOES RAISE THE QUESTION WILL
PARENTS TRY AND SWAY THIS.
IT’S A HUGE DECISION THAT
CHILDREN JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND
AT THAT AGE SO IT IS A BIT SCARY
BUT I THINK PERSONALLY IT’S
UNLIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE A
LOT OF CHILDREN DOING THIS SO
THAT’S WHY I THINK IT’S STILL A
STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.