Riley Gaines is leading a new ad campaign calling for trans women to be banned from competing against women, with some urging for it to be included in the Super Bowl.
The former swimmer appeared in the commercial for XX-XY Athletics, a company supporting the protection of women’s sports, alongside her sister Neely, a Tennessee state gymnastics champion.
The two sisters are seen listening to radio hosts describe their opposition to competing against transgender athletes as ‘bigoted’ and ‘transphobic.’
Gaines, who made headlines after competing against controversial transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the NCAA Championships, is also joined in the advert by a number of other female athletes who have spoken out about the issue.
This includes Sia Liilii, the co-captain of the Nevada volleyball team who also protested competing against a trans player, who receives death threats in the advert.
The ad, titled ‘Real Girls Rock’, was created for ‘those who choose to stand up and do the right thing demonstrate enormous strength of character’, XX-XY founder Jennifer Sey told Outkick.
The video circulated across social media after XX-XY shared it to X this week, as the company said it was ‘the big game ad Nike would never make.’
Gaines’ advert was soon endorsed by author JK Rowling, who shared the clip to her social media and said: ‘This is the first and likely the last time I’ll retweet an ad, but I love it.’
Several leading female athletes have launched a new advert campaign calling for transgender women to be banned from competing against biological women
Outspoken swimmer Riley Gaines (left) appeared alongside her sister Neely Gaines, a Tennessee state gymnastics champion, in the advert calling for the protection of women’s sports
Sia Liilii (pictured), the co-captain of the Nevada volleyball team who also protested competing against a transgender player, is also seen receiving death threats and being called a ‘transphobe’ in the advert
In the promo, Gaines, her sister, Liilii and kickboxing champion Jaycee Bassett are all seen training for their sports while facing a barrage of abuse for their opposition to competing against transgender athletes.
Radio commentators are heard saying over the training clips: ‘Who cares if biological males play in women’s sport? Just be inclusive.’
‘I could not agree more. This is just a bunch of fearmongering from right-wing bigots,’ another says.
Liilii is seen opening her phone to messages telling her to ‘just die’, moments before she attempts to train with her teammates.
She made headlines last year when she and several of her teammates refused to play rivals at San Jose State over the team’s inclusion of transgender player Blaire Fleming.
The training montages were shown alongside messages including ‘Real Strength’ and ‘Real Courage’, concluding with ‘Real Girls Rock.’
In the advert, the athletes are seen training alongside messages including ‘Real Strength’ and ‘Real Courage’, concluding with ‘Real Girls Rock’
Kickboxing champion Jaycee Bassett also appears in the advert, which is dubbed with radio commentators criticizing their stances, including branding them ‘fearmongering right-wing bigots’
Liilii made headlines last year when she and several of her teammates refused to play rivals at San Jose State over the team’s inclusion of transgender player Blaire Fleming (pictured)
Gaines, who became outspoken after competing against controversial transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the NCAA Championships (pictured together), said she took part in the ad because women ‘have to put up with threats and bullying if they stand up for themselves’
Founder Jennifer Sey said after the advert aired: ‘The athletes featured in the film prove that sports serve as a training ground for developing young people into outstanding, courageous individuals.
‘We wanted to honor them with this film, when no other brand has the guts to do it.’
She said she launched XX-XY to promote ‘fairness, safety and equal opportunity in women’s sports and spaces’, and to fight ‘the false assertion that male-bodied athletes do not have physical advantages over girls and women.’
Sey added that ‘most people would rather stand with the crowd, than speak the truth and do the right thing.’
In response to a viewer asking if it would run on Sunday’s Super Bowl, the company responded: ‘We just need to raise 25 million for the media on GoFundMe and then yes!’
Gaines, who has toured the country speaking about the issue and has lobbied Washington lawmakers to ban transgender athletes nationwide, told Outkick that she participated in the ad to pay tribute to female athletes who ‘work so hard.’
‘And now, on top of all the training and injuries and practices at dawn, they have to put up with threats and bullying if they stand up for themselves,’ she said.
‘I’m so proud to appear in this ad alongside my sister Neely, a Tennessee state champion gymnast. Real girls really do rock. And this fight is not over. We’re just getting started.’
