Riley Gaines clashes with top Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin over transgender athletes in women's sports

Former college swimmer Riley Gaines, an advocate for allowing only biological women to compete in women's sports, clashed with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., after he accused her and conservatives of pushing "hateful rhetoric" against transgender youth.

"Transgender youth are among the most at risk of homelessness, depression and death by suicide," Durbin said Wednesday in his opening statement at a hearing on the civil rights of LGBTQ+ Americans. "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 addressed Durbin's comments later in the hearing and said the Democratic whip needed to consider the message his comments were sending to women and girls, who she said have a disadvantage when competing against transgender people.

"Sen. Durbin, in your opening statement, you had mentioned this rhetoric," she said, according to Fox News. "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 [are] thrown out of the window to protect a small population, protect one group as long as they're happy."

Durbin responded by defending the performance of transgender athletes against biological women.

"Since reference was made to my earlier statement, I would just like to add something for the record: There is no evidence that transgender athletes are an issue in certain levels of sports. No transgender female athlete has ever won an Olympic medal in women's sports, though the International Olympic Committee has allowed transgender athletes to compete since 2004," Durbin said.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.