Abstract

This study employs ideological criticism to analyze Riley Gaines’s rhetoric about transgender athletes, focusing on her posts on X and a podcast episode. The analysis finds that Gaines: (1) describes transgender women as not real women, (2) presents them as inherently stronger than cisgender women, (3) suggests that cisgender women need protection from transgender athletes, and (4) endorses legislative bans and Republican candidates as means to provide that protection. These findings carry implications. First, Gaines’s social media presence fosters echo chambers that circulate anti-transgender frames while excluding alternative perspectives and transgender voices. Second, her rhetoric overstates the frequency of transgender participation in women’s sports. Third, her rhetoric aligns with broader right-wing narratives, positioning conservative policy as the natural defender of women’s rights. Together, these findings and implications show that Gaines’s rhetoric naturalizes transgender exclusion as common sense, reinforces heteronormative and hegemonic norms of womanhood, and secures more support for right-wing ideology.

Advisor

Bostdorff, Denise

Department

Communication Studies

Disciplines

Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication | Social Influence and Political Communication | Speech and Rhetorical Studies

Keywords

transgender athletes, Riley Gaines, ideological criticism

Publication Date

2026

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2026 Matthew B. Kaley