There are no transgender athletes in Riley Gaines’ newly released children’s book, but there are some deceitful snakes, naïve squirrels, and a message about having the courage to tell the truth.
The illustrated story, “Happy No Snakes Day,” represents the first book by Ms. Gaines, who became the face of female athletes fighting for single-sex sports after she competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA women’s championships.
That made her a natural for Brave Books, the children’s publishing house that features stories written by prominent conservative figures promoting traditional values such as bravery, virtue, honesty and humility.
Ms. Gaines said her book, which was released Thursday, is “about standing up for truth no matter the risk.”
The story centers on an island where a village of squirrels is celebrating “No Snakes Day,” a day in which the local snakes promise not to eat them. The question for the heroes is, should they flee the island to protect themselves, or warn the squirrels that the snakes are being less than truthful?
It’s not hard to figure out why such a tale would resonate with Ms. Gaines, who decided after the NCAA championships to speak out against male-born athletes participating in women’s sports despite enormous public pressure to keep quiet and follow the culture.
“There are hungry serpents among us. They are no longer wolves disguised in sheep’s clothing. They are openly and outwardly preying on those who are most vulnerable: our children,” Ms. Gaines told The Washington Times.
“Those serpents are telling children lies that put them in dangerous situations and compromise their own ability to think and speak the truth,” she said.
She said that children “need to hear this message so we can turn the tide for our future generations.”
Launch day of my CHILDREN’S BOOK😭😍
I partnered with @BraveBooksUS to write “Happy No Snakes Day” which teaches kids to speak the truth despite being afraid
You can get my book free when you subscribe at https://t.co/wUQWT1T4Py!!! pic.twitter.com/x9K0C5TLlI
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) January 25, 2024
Ms. Gaines, who hosts the “Gaines for Girls” podcast on OutKick, plans to team up with surfer Bethany Hamilton, another Brave Books author, for a story hour Feb. 2 at the Library Center in Springfield, Missouri.
Ms. Hamilton, who lost an arm as a teenager in a 2003 shark attack, entered the fray last year when she announced she would no longer compete in the World Surf League under its updated transgender policy, which lets biological males compete in women’s events if they keep their testosterone below a certain level.
She said Thursday that while her athletic career is wrapping up, she worries about fairness for the next generation of female surfers.
“To me as a female surfer, a mom of four, just everything I’ve done with my career, I just felt like it was not fair for women in surfing,” she told Fox News. “Especially in surfing, the strength difference is so vast. I worked so hard, and to imagine competing against a male just sounds terrible.”
Her children’s book, “Surfing Past Fear,” published in November by Brave Books, tells the story of a girl who has to overcome her fears after breaking her arm.
Earlier this month, LGBTQ advocates urged the Women’s Fund of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to cancel its plans for Ms. Hamilton to speak at a May fundraiser, saying the event would give her “a direct platform for amplifying anti-transgender bigotry in our own backyard.”
Signers include Winnebago County Supervisor Timothy Ernst, Outagamie County Supervisor Steven Thiede, and the OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center in Madison.
“Bethany Hamilton’s status as a public figure is inseparably linked to her status as a professional athlete,” said the Jan. 15 letter posted by WLUK-TV. “Her stances and statements made in her capacity as a surfer are blatantly exclusionary and harmful toward transgender women athletes and, by extension, the trans and nonbinary community at large.”
The Women’s Fund is still advertising Ms. Hamilton’s appearance on its Facebook page, saying that the surfer’s “story of overcoming obstacles and living with resilience, perseverance, and heart has helped her live an Unstoppable life.”