Photo courtesy of Riley Gaines' Twitter
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines testified at a House subcommittee hearing about her experience with left-wing violence on Tuesday.
Last month, Gaines spoke about saving women’s sports at San Francisco State University (SFSU). Her speech was interrupted by trans rights protestors, and Gaines was forced to barricade in a room at the university.
“I truly feared for my life,” Gaines said, telling Fox News that she was yelled at and “assaulted” by the protestors for three hours.
After the protests, SFSU President Lynn Mahoney released a statement.
“The event was deeply traumatic for many in our trans and LGBTQ+ communities, and the speaker’s message outraged many members of the SF State community,” Mahoney said.
Gaines told Fox that after the release of the statement her “eyes were opened.”
“For the administration to release a statement applauding this behavior is chilling,” Gaines said.
At the hearing on Tuesday, Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Chairman Dan Bishop, R-N.C., advised the Department of Homeland Security on how to better equip state and local law enforcement for threats and violence from left-wing activists.
“It’s time that Congress takes a closer look at what ‘mostly peaceful’ looks like,” Bishop said about Gaines’ experience at SFSU. “It’s past time to recognize that these are not random or spontaneous outbursts of violence.”
Gaines told Fox her message at the hearing was that free speech should allow space for “open discussions” of “new perspectives.”
“The freedom of speech has to be upheld,” Gaines said before the hearing. “Violence is not acceptable in any scenario.”
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