‘Grotesquely unfair’:  Piers Morgan and Riley Gaines call for female athletes to boycott events with biological males who dominate the competition

Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines and British journalist Piers Morgan are urging female athletes to boycott competitions allowing biological males to participate in women’s events.

Gaines reiterated her position on Monday, when two biological males – who go by the names Tessa Johnson and Evelyn Williamson – took first and second place in the women’s Single Speed competition of the Illinois State Cyclocross Championship.

If female athletes will boycott, Gaines offered to compensate them the prize money they might forfeit.

“@usacycling has 2 categories for men and none for women,” Gaines posted on X. “Any women who concedes and doesn’t compete, I will personally pay them the prize money they’re missing out on. Stop participating in the farce.”

In August, the same two cyclists won the Racing-Athletic Relay Cruise, competing on the same team, according to the New York Post. Their team was called “TS-Estrodolls” a reference to the estrogen drug transgender women are prescribed.  

In October, Johnson and Williamson placed first and second at Chicago’s Cyclocross, each receiving prize money.  

That makes 18 first place titles in women’s events for Williamson alone, according to the Post.

Gaines isn’t the only prominent voice calling for boycotts.

Last week, Morgan appeared on Gaines’ podcast, called Gaines for Girls, advocating for a global female athlete boycott.

“I actually think, right now, every female competitor in women’s sport in the world should just refuse to compete against trans athletes,” Morgan said. “Not because they’re transphobic; because they want to protect women’s rights to fairness. And if they all did that one day, this ends.

“If you allow people who were born biologically male to put their hand up and say they’re women and want to compete in women’s sports, they are going to destroy women born with biological bodies. They’re just going to destroy them.” 

It is “grotesquely unfair,” he added. 

“In every sport now you’re seeing this creeping erosion of women’s rights to fairness and equality,” Morgan continued. “I have no problem with trans people. People want to transition or identify as something they weren’t born as, fine. 

“But what you can’t do in your pursuit of your own rights to fairness and quality is erode the rights of women’s fairness and equality rights. And that’s what we’re seeing, and it has to stop.” 

Boycotting seems to be working, too. 

In October, female competitors withdrew from a jiu-jitsu tournament after learning they would be competing against two biological males.  

After the tournament, the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) changed its transgender policy after international backlash.

“We will have divisions for only biological females,” NAGA’s new policy states. “Transgender females will not be entered into these divisions. Transgender females must compete in the men’s division.”   

Gaines commended the women who refused to compete. 

“It took NAGA only 21 hrs. after this exclusive piece was published exposing their discriminatory policies before they changed them to prioritize fairness and protect women,” Gaines wrote. “The effectiveness of boycotts and using your voice is reall!!!”