Jun 23
Simone Biles Deletes Twitter Account Amid Riley Gaines Feud Over Trans Athlete Inclusion
READ TIME: 3 MIN.
Simone Biles, celebrated as one of the greatest gymnasts in history, found herself at the center of a heated social media storm after publicly defending a transgender high school athlete who had faced criticism from former NCAA swimmer and anti-transgender activist Riley Gaines. The situation escalated after Gaines made a transphobic comment regarding a trans female athlete’s participation in the Minnesota high school softball state championship, stating on X (formerly Twitter), “To be expected when your star player is a boy,” referring to the athlete’s gender identity.
Biles responded directly to Gaines on X, challenging her stance by stating, “You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!”
After Biles’s defense of transgender athletes, her social media accounts became a focal point for both support and significant backlash. The gymnast received a flood of comments on Twitter/X and Instagram, with many targeting her stance and, at times, her character. The situation further intensified when Biles issued a public apology for a personal insult directed at Gaines, hoping to deescalate tensions.
Despite her apology, the backlash did not subside. On June 22, 2025, Biles quietly deleted her X account, which had nearly two million followers. Attempts to access her verified profile now lead to an error page, confirming her departure from the platform. Biles continues to maintain active accounts on Instagram and Threads, where she has not yet directly addressed her decision to leave Twitter/X.
Riley Gaines, who has built a platform advocating against transgender inclusion in women’s sports after tying for fifth place with Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, shared a screenshot of Biles’s deactivated account and posted her own take. Gaines wrote, “Sad to see such a phenom go down like this,” and claimed Biles had an “incredibly unpopular and morally indefensible take” before deleting her account “to pretend it never happened”.
This episode has further exposed the deep divides in U.S. public opinion on transgender athletes and the pressure faced by public figures who speak out for LGBTQ+ inclusion. Many in the LGBTQ+ community and allies have rallied in support of Biles, applauding her courage and her willingness to use her platform to advocate for inclusive sporting environments, even at personal cost.
The incident underscores the ongoing challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender athletes, encounter within competitive sports. It also highlights the risks allies face when standing up against exclusion and discrimination. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, Biles’s defense of trans athletes represents an important moment of visible allyship from one of the most prominent figures in global sports.
As conversations about fairness, inclusion, and safety in sports continue, the LGBTQ+ community and its allies are calling for greater support and understanding. Advocates emphasize the need for respectful dialogue and policies that honor the identities and rights of all athletes, regardless of gender identity.
Simone Biles’s experience is a reminder of both the influence and the vulnerability that come with public advocacy in the digital age. While her departure from Twitter/X may silence her on one platform, her message of inclusion continues to resonate and inspire those fighting for equity in sports and beyond.
