Prairie State Wire

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Riley Gaines, a former Division I swimmer and star athlete at the University of Kentucky, challenged U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) about comments he made regarding the Biden administration's proposed amendments to Title IX that include transgender issues in schools and colleges, FOX News reported.

Wednesday's hearing, titled Protecting Pride: Defending the Civil Rights of LGBTQ+ Americans, included commentary from both sides of the debate including Durbin, who offered a warning to those in attendance.

"At this point, I'd like to remind our colleagues, our children are listening, and they are in danger," he said in the hearing, quoted by FOX News. "In fact, today, transgender youth are among the most at risk of homelessness, depression and death by suicide. So, when these young people who are already struggling hear politicians amplify hateful rhetoric that denies their very existence, what message does it send?"

Gaines, now a spokeswoman for the Independent Women's Voice, responded to Durbin about how changes are already impacting athletes, according to clips of her testimony tweeted by RNC Research.

"Sen. Durbin, in your opening statement, you had mentioned this rhetoric," Gaines said in the hearing. "You had mentioned that, what message does it send to trans individuals? And my comeback to that is, what message does this send to women, to young girls, who are denied of these opportunities? So easily, their rights to privacy and safety thrown out of the window to protect a small population—protect one group as long as they're happy. What about us?"

Title IX is a federal civil rights law overseen by the U.S. Department of Education that was enacted in 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government. The department announced proposed changes to Title IX in April of this year. The changes would ensure that no school or college that receives federal funding would be allowed to impose a "one-size-fits-all" policy that categorically bans transgender students from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Such policies would be considered a violation of Title IX.

Durbin's home state of Illinois is one of 29 states that allow boys to play girls high school sports, an April Prairie State Wire report said.

In her opening statement to the Senate panel and throughout her testimony, Gaines explained that women are already experiencing challenges to their safety and security as well as a reduction in opportunities.

"Women's rights to privacy and single-sex spaces and opportunities are being encroached upon — sports, sororities, locker and dorm rooms, shelters, and prisons," she said. "Some have tried to tar those of us speaking up for women's safety, security, and opportunities as 'transphobic' or 'bigoted.' This is untrue. I've heard from gay, lesbian, and trans-identifying Americans that agree females should not be asked to step aside to make room for male-bodied individuals — no matter how they self identify."