99 Comments
User's avatar
Mary E Barkocy's avatar

Thank you for your thoughtful and intelligent response. I am just blown away by Simone’s insensitivity to this issue. She’s just lost her GOAT status in my book!

Expand full comment
L Word's avatar

Perfect response, which will carry big weight given your background. What a champ you are for speaking out 🙇‍♀️!

Omg, the insult to Riley’s body being like a man’s shocks is shocking. What is she thinking? Riley epitomizes female grace and power.

Expand full comment
John Dzialo's avatar

Biles is too deeply focused on her own celebrity to be cutting edge on anything that isn't already mainstream dogma. That's why she stayed in the shadows until it was safe (and profitable) to go public on the gymnastic abuse issue.

Expand full comment
Jennifer Sey's avatar

Yeah I think that is right

Expand full comment
B S's avatar

100%. A true champion would have acknowledged the blatant hole in the women’s gymnastics competition created by the absence of Russian athletes at the Paris Olympics. But everyone just pretended like it wasn’t happening, especially Biles.

Expand full comment
Gerda Ho's avatar

Simone Biles is a coward., !,why is she afraid to stand up for women?

Expand full comment
Lori Weintz's avatar

I really appreciate the cool videos and courageous messages being promoted by XX-XY Athletics in behalf of women and girls, and the good men and boys who support them. Immediately reposted!

Expand full comment
AMK60's avatar
5dEdited

I gave SB the benefit of the doubt when she was silent pre- Nasser conviction. Now, her remarks have revealed her core.

Thanks, JS, for your continued support for women’s and girls’ sports. You’re a treasure.

Expand full comment
From the Beach...🌞🇧🇷🏖️🌊🐬🌎😎's avatar

They are cowards, Jenn. It is all about them. They have athletic courage but no moral courage nor compass.Biles is a superior athlete in her sport but morally deficient. Her 👁️ glitter vanishes when she opens her mouth. I will take Riley any day of the week.

Expand full comment
Ute Heggen's avatar

Remarkably clear and effective message, Jennifer. Do you think Biles finds it easier to "accept trans women" in sports because males can't do the women's gymnastics moves, there are almost no female gymnasts being displaced by males on women's/girls' teams? She did a food delivery ad with an odd crossdresser, who dressed like her, and I think she's trying to build a wall around her commercial empire. Unfortunate but predictable. I thank you for this response.

Expand full comment
Jodi P's avatar

Actually, you’d be surprised what male gymnasts can do on that beam! As for vault and floor, men have been doing what she is known for for years. If a male gymnasts were allowed to compete against her, she wouldn’t be called the GOAT.

Expand full comment
Ruth's avatar

Just looked up the ad you mentioned- uber eats with Jonathan Van Ness from Queer Eye? I think you may be on to something here. What’s weird to me is that she seems kind of disgusted by him in the ad… ah well, I guess she’s just “acting.”

Expand full comment
Ute Heggen's avatar

Thanks for this info! I wonder what the story was with that scenario.

Expand full comment
Ruth's avatar

Me, too! When I first saw the Biles/Gaines story, my initial thought, especially because her attack seemed to come out of the blue, was that Biles now has a family member or close friend who is “trans.” I’m always curious about the reasons behind people’s actions.

Expand full comment
Jenny George's avatar

I used to have so much admiration for Biles. Now, I'm disgusted by her. Truly unbelievable that she wants to endanger women and girls and deny them the same opportunities that she had.

Expand full comment
John's avatar

you had admiration for a person you don’t know anything about? lesson learned

Expand full comment
Former Dem's avatar

True, no one on earth has ever admired an elite athlete before.

Expand full comment
Katherine O'Connor's avatar

How disappointing that Biles, a phenomenal athlete, doesn’t have a mind to match her body. Her comment to Gaines is mean, untrue and does nothing to help the trans community. It is petty and a discredit to her.

Expand full comment
Tamra Carter's avatar

Yes! This! Thank you for AWLAYS saying the true things at the right time. I’m disgusted with the GOAT. Not a role model. Not a leader. Pathetic.

Expand full comment
Madjack's avatar

With this move I will despise her forever. She sucks.

Expand full comment
Kimberlyarlene's avatar

She more than anyone is safe. Women’s gymnastics is much different than men’s. She won’t be replaced on beam or musical floor exercise.

Expand full comment
Indrek Sarapuu's avatar

Funny, once a hero...

Now?

Expand full comment
SUZ's avatar

Never really was

Expand full comment
Marcia Morton's avatar

Seems Simone Biles has a paid agenda and is working it. That doesn’t explain her nasty comments, but maybe she has no moral compass.

Expand full comment
Sweet Caroline's avatar

This was stunning and weird. It’s almost as if Simone was not in her right mind when she posted this. What triggered it? Did a trans friend tell her to post or bully her to post it? She has been manipulated for sure and is not thinking for herself. Looking out for her own reputation apparently.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Simone comes forward in a few days and plays victim-saying now SHE is the one being bullied and her mental health is at risk. That she is hurt by the hate. I have a solution— stand up for girls and get off of social media.

Additionally, did she really BODY shame another female????? A strong, powerful determined woman????? And didn’t she imply MEN ON AVERAGE ARE BIGGER THAN WOMEN? I am so tired of stupid. Such a bad look, Simone.

Expand full comment
MarshaLouise's avatar

You don’t believe there’s a big chunk of the usual racism there? It always is.

Expand full comment
Kimberlyarlene's avatar

I’m thinking either she didn’t write it or will say that. It seems out of character. She’s never been overtly political nor does she seem to have a dig in this fight that I know of.

Expand full comment