About 250 transgender activists showed up at the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame at Texas Woman’s University in Denton as Gov. Greg Abbott signed the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” which would limit transgender athletes from competing in most women’s college sports.
In attendance was former NCAA swimming champion Riley Gaines, who has become a fierce opponent of allowing transgender women to compete against biological women. There were also a group of little girls — some as young as five — who showed up to witness the historic bill signing.
The transgender activists accosted those in attendance, getting in their faces, and, in at least one instance, threw water on Independent Women’s Network’s Austin chapter leader Michelle Evans, who told Fox News that the best word to describe the protesters was “rabid.”
@BillboardChris @ThePosieParker @megynkelly @HJoyceGender @Glinner @jk_rowling @sharrond62
Cowards intimidating little girls. pic.twitter.com/XDaNdIpp47
— TheCynicalBrit 🇬🇧🦕 (@CynicalBrit2023) August 8, 2023
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Gaines also shared her observations of the protest.
“Even in the great state of [Texas], protestors have tried to find a way to smear the celebration of Governor Abbott signing SB 15 which protects female collegiate athletics. But they can’t,” Gaines, host of OutKick podcast “Gaines for Girls,” told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“Today is a huge win and Gov. Abbott’s leadership is foundational and I’m hopeful more states will follow suit.”
Speaking of the protest, Gaines continued, “Bottles are being thrown, protestors are spitting in people’s faces, profanity is being yelled at children. Law enforcement has stepped in and provided protection.”
Former University of Pennsylvania swimmer, Paula Scanlan, shared on social media that protesters blocked the exits and were “spitting and yelling.”
Read Related Also: The ultimate guide to all of Selena Gomez’s favorite beauty products
Abbott issued a statement about the protesters:
How will they explain to Riley and Paula and to other women how they have been marginalized? They’re the ones who went through the training, not the protesters out there. They devoted their lives, working harder probably than anybody in this room. Longer days, longer nights, sacrificing so much to achieve a goal, only to have the goal erased by being forced to compete against a man.
Update: they are extremely hostile and spitting on people. We are finding a safe exit.
Please join us in praying for these individuals that they find hope in Jesus Christ! Life does not have to be this way.
— Macy Petty (@macypetty0416) August 7, 2023
Related: How Does a Sexual Assault Survivor Feel About Sharing a Locker Room With a Transgender Male?
Incredibly, this CBS report on the demonstration lionized the protesters and didn’t even mention the screaming, cursing, spitting, and unhinged demonstrators.
Amid chants of “protect trans lives,” dozens of people—including members of the LGBTQ community—stood outside Texas Woman’s University with a message for Governor Greg Abbott about the new state law requiring athletes at public colleges and universities to compete on teams the same as their biological sex.
“I think he needs to realize trans people are people, trans Texans are Texans, and his legislation is supposed to protect Texans. But he’s not protecting trans people, he’s hurting trans people,” said one student named Eliot.
Abbott believes more needs to be done to protect the rights of biological women.
“Sports is the tip of the iceberg, but the iceberg is much bigger than people are giving it credit for,” he said.
