WTA icons Venus Williams and Serena Williams have been called on by former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines to speak out on transgender women competing against biological women in women's sports.
In 2022, Gaines tied for fifth place transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the 200-meter NCAA championship. The 12-time All American swimmer has since emerged as a vocal activist against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women sports.
This past April, Riley lobbied for the Kentucky state representatives to enact legislation that would restrict transgender individuals from competing in women's sports. Furthermore, she began an initiative this week by urging prominent female athletes to speak on the topic of men competing against women. The Williams sisters were at the top of her list of athletes whose support she hoped to acquire, stating that "silence is complicity."
"Each day for the next week I'm going to call on well-known female athletes to take a stance on this issue because silence is complicity...we need their voices. Day 1: @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams how do you feel about males competing against women?," Gaines tweeted.
So far, neither of the Williams sisters have responded to or acknowledged the tweet.