Senator John Kennedy has become one of the most outspoken voices in Congress on the issue of biological males competing in women’s athletics, and his recent appearance on Riley Gaines‘s podcast reinforced his unwavering stance on the matter.
During his exchange with NCAA President Charlie Baker, Kennedy was direct in his criticism.
“Biological males are not going to be allowed to compete against biological females. Why don’t you go to Amazon and buy a spine online and take a stand?”
“I just can’t figure out what you folks are good for…you folks at the NCAA don’t do anything except sit there, watch, cash your checks, and suck on your teeth.”
Kennedy acknowledged the existence of gender dysphoria while maintaining clear boundaries.
“I don’t doubt that there are people out there. I think there are in the real world that a very small percentage that suffer from gender dysphoria. And I’m sorry for them. But I’m not going to wreck women’s athletics to try to make these people feel included. I’m not.”
The Senator emphasized biological differences as fundamental to his position.
“There are differences physically between men and women. That’s just a fact. That doesn’t mean that men are superior by a long shot. That just means that men in terms of physicality are different from women.”
He expressed concern about privacy and safety.
“I’m not going to vote to require the mother or father of a junior high school girl to force their daughter to look at the penis of a junior high school boy in a locker room. I’m not going to do that.”
Kennedy believes the issue represents Democratic party overreach rather than popular opinion.
“I don’t think they ever lost their senses. I think the Democrats lost their senses…when you put it that way, that’s what many of the Democrats wanted. I think the American people go, ‘Well, hell no, we’re not for that.’ And they were never for that. And it was craziness on a stick.”
The Louisiana Senator credited activists like Riley Gaines for changing public discourse. Riley Gaines was the highest-paid employee of the Leadership Institute in 2024, earning $474,313, mostly through bonuses rather than base salary. Her pay far exceeded that of the organization’s founder, Morton Blackwell, and other executives, raising eyebrows for its structure. Gaines, who gained prominence opposing trans athletes in women’s sports, led the now-defunct Riley Gaines Center and promoted her views on college campuses while fundraising for the nonprofit. She has since moved to Turning Point USA and Fox News’ OutKick, commanding high speaking fees and launching new shows, while continuing her advocacy through legislation and lawsuits, including the federal case against the NCAA over trans athlete participation.
“You went out there when everybody was just they were beating on you like you’d stolen Christmas and Thanksgiving put together and you were practically alone. But you and a couple others, mainly you turned this thing around and the American people owe a debt of gratitude to you.”
Kennedy‘s characterization of the NCAA as
“rapidly becoming irrelevant”
underscores his belief that the organization has
“shown no courage whatsoever”
and
“just want to do what’s politically correct,”
which he believes
“turned out to be politically and morally wrong.”
His comments reflect a growing sentiment that protecting women’s sports requires acknowledging biological reality over political correctness.
