Four competitors have forfeited matches against San Jose State University's women's volleyball team this season. While none of the teams have confirmed the reason for their forfeits, the decisions seem to have been motivated by right-wing media claims that a San Jose athlete is transgender. The forfeits have become the latest rallying cry for OutKick host Riley Gaines in her efforts to bar trans women from competition.
Right-wing media claims that San Jose State University volleyball player Blaire Fleming is trans began in April with a report from Reduxx. The report investigated Fleming's online and athletic record, attempting to determine when Fleming had transitioned and claiming that she had moved from North Carolina to avoid that state's recent restrictions on trans athletes. After publishing Fleming's alleged deadname in the opening sentence, Reduxx continued to misgender her throughout.
The following week saw several right-wing outlets — including OutKick, Breitbart, and Fox News — parrot Reduxx's claims, consistently deadnaming and misgendering Fleming as well.
While Fleming has played in the NCAA Division I for three seasons, first at Coastal Carolina University and subsequently at San Jose, she “has never made any public statement regarding her gender identity.” Regardless, the NCAA does not unilaterally bar trans players from competition, instead opting for a “sport-by-sport approach” that “preserves opportunity for transgender student-athletes while balancing fairness, inclusion and safety for all who compete.” The organization's Transgender Student Participation Policy for this year shows that trans women who comply with USA Volleyball regulations can compete in the division.
As the fall season began this September, right-wing media revived speculation about Fleming's gender identity, alleging that she possessed an unfair advantage and posed a safety risk to other athletes. Gaines' home outlet OutKick published several articles asserting such claims, and Gaines herself was quoted as an expert in other coverage of the issue.
In mid-September, Southern Utah University forfeited a match against San Jose. Although Southern Utah did not confirm why it had forfeited the game, Gaines told OutKick, “I can't imagine this was an easy decision, but it's one that sends a clear message: female athletes deserve safety, respect, and the right to fair competition.”
Allegations about Fleming’s identity were further inflamed when her teammate and former roommate joined a class action lawsuit against the NCAA seeking to bar trans women from competition. The suit, spearheaded by Gaines and the Independent Council on Women's Sports (sometimes referred to as “ICONS”), echoed in court filings what right-wing media had been alleging about Fleming's identity in the press.
Gaines and ICONS then sent a letter to the Mountain West Conference urging more teams to forfeit matches against San Jose State in protest of Fleming's inclusion. The letter was published as an exclusive at OutKick and has been followed by three additional forfeits — by Boise State, University of Wyoming, and Utah State University — all of which have been praised by Gaines.
Gaines has continued to urge upcoming competitors to forfeit their matches against San Jose, even indicating that she would pay athletes who refuse to play. In February of this year, Gaines apparently compensated a billiards player under the same terms, and she has since praised those who have boycotted trans inclusion.
Last Thursday, San Jose lost its match against Colorado State University. The team was accompanied by additional security from university police following “social media activity directed at the team and university” that is believed to have been prompted by the ongoing backlash. Fleming's teammate reported that threats had been directed at her in retaliation for her participation in the lawsuit against the NCAA.
Gaines originally garnered public attention after she and Lia Thomas, a trans athlete, tied for fifth place at the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Since her media debut, Gaines has continued to argue against trans inclusion in women's sports, subsequently expanding her platform to include criticisms of LGBTQ protections and becoming a prominent voice in efforts to ban trans women from sports.
More recently, Gaines released a scorecard evaluating candidates’ positions on trans inclusion in women's sports.
