Remaining Faithful When It’s Costly | Riley Gaines at Make Heaven Crowded 2026

[00:00:00] I remember having this moment. I was in [00:00:01] school and I was doing the advocacy [00:00:04] stuff on the side. Like I didn't want [00:00:06] any of my peers to know who I was. I [00:00:08] didn't want any of my teachers to know [00:00:10] who I was because I was scared that they [00:00:11] would like ostracize me like I'd been [00:00:13] told. And so I'm realizing that I can't [00:00:16] do both with the efficacy that I want to [00:00:19] both you know practicing dentistry and [00:00:23] the the activism work. And so you know [00:00:25] I'm talking to my husband. What do I do? [00:00:26] He's like well do what you want. I'm [00:00:28] like that's no help. I don't know what I [00:00:29] want. I ended up calling the dental [00:00:31] school and kind of this moment of of [00:00:33] weakness, the admissions office and you [00:00:35] know, very vague. I'm like, "Hey, uh, [00:00:37] something personal has come up in my [00:00:39] life and and she stopped me [00:00:40] immediately." She was like, "Riley, just [00:00:42] stop. Uh, we know who you are and we [00:00:45] know what you do." And I will never [00:00:47] forget her telling me. She said, "And we [00:00:50] love what you do." She said, [00:00:57] she said, "I can't tell you what to do, [00:00:59] but you will have far more impact [00:01:01] fighting that fight than you'll ever [00:01:02] have being a dentist. We'll hold your [00:01:03] spot. Whenever you want to come back, [00:01:06] uh, it's here for you. All of the money [00:01:07] that you've already spent, we'll hold [00:01:08] it." Of course, they will, right? Uh, [00:01:10] and if you want to come back, it's here. [00:01:12] And every single year during enrollment, [00:01:14] they email me, "Do you want your spot?" [00:01:16] And every single year, I say, "Oh my [00:01:17] gosh, no, I don't." [00:01:21] Again, I just say that to say it was [00:01:25] it's so manipulative, but it's so [00:01:28] effective in the way they get us to [00:01:30] cower and not use our voices. But I'm [00:01:33] here to tell you none of the things that [00:01:35] they told me were were going to happen. [00:01:38] Assuredly, none of those things [00:01:39] happened. Really [00:01:41] >> so good. So good. [00:01:46] So Riley, break down for me a little [00:01:48] bit. you know, when when we're in [00:01:50] moments like this where we really have [00:01:52] to rely on strength from the Lord, where [00:01:55] there's there's some sort of situation [00:01:56] that's bigger than ourselves that we, [00:01:58] you know, really just have to dig in [00:02:00] spiritually. There's always some [00:02:01] foundational truths or scriptures or [00:02:04] principles that the Lord tends to bring [00:02:06] to mind for us. What are some things [00:02:08] that were guiding you, you know, beyond [00:02:10] just kind of conservative values? Was [00:02:12] were there anything you know that [00:02:13] specific that you felt like the Lord was [00:02:16] maybe teaching you, reminding you, you [00:02:17] know, that you were drawing on for the [00:02:19] strength in this moment? [00:02:21] >> Well, I think a lot of people approach [00:02:23] the issue of men and women's sports or [00:02:25] gender ideology as a whole from the [00:02:27] stance of what is objectively true, [00:02:30] right? Like what is biologically true? [00:02:32] Men and women are physically different, [00:02:34] anatomically different, chromosomally [00:02:35] different. So people approach it in that [00:02:38] manner and it's effective, right? Like [00:02:39] again, anyone with eyeballs and a shred [00:02:41] of honesty can see that. And of course, [00:02:45] when you're you're on Fox News for two [00:02:47] minutes and that's the points that you [00:02:48] get out, but more important to me and [00:02:51] certainly how I center my life and how I [00:02:54] I aim to conduct myself and the [00:02:56] interactions that I have is approaching [00:02:58] this conversation. What is biblically [00:03:00] true and it goes back to the first book [00:03:03] like he made them male and female [00:03:06] intentionally and uniquely in his [00:03:07] perfect image. How amazing is it that we [00:03:09] have a creator who doesn't make [00:03:10] mistakes? [00:03:12] But you you mentioned scripture. What [00:03:14] scripture has has really stuck with me? [00:03:17] I will tell you my favorite Bible verse [00:03:19] from the time I was little bitty. I can [00:03:21] remember being in church and hearing my [00:03:23] pastor say it. Uh it's Romans 8:18, [00:03:26] which is for our present sufferings [00:03:27] aren't worth comparing to the glory that [00:03:29] will be revealed in us. And I remember [00:03:30] loving this verse when I was little [00:03:32] because I applied it to the only thing I [00:03:34] really knew at the time which was [00:03:37] swimming and my sport, right? Like the [00:03:39] present suffering I related to that [00:03:42] because that's the practice, right? [00:03:44] That's the time and the hours and the [00:03:45] sacrifices that you have to make to [00:03:47] again be able to compete. Uh but the [00:03:51] glory that's winning a race, that's [00:03:54] going a best time, that's winning a [00:03:55] championship, whatever it is, it all it [00:03:58] it made all the negative pale in [00:04:00] comparison to that feeling of of [00:04:03] victory, right? Pretty trivial, but [00:04:05] again, that that's younger me. Flash [00:04:07] forward to where I'm at now. Oh my gosh, [00:04:10] that verse is so much more applicable. I [00:04:13] I can relate and resonate with it so [00:04:15] much more now than I could to when I was [00:04:18] swimming when I thought that verse [00:04:19] really spoke to me or when I guess it [00:04:21] initially did. Now the present [00:04:23] sufferings, it's the people again who [00:04:25] comment online who say things like, you [00:04:28] know, you're a trans phobe or maybe you [00:04:31] should have swam faster. I'm like [00:04:33] genius. I actually never thought of [00:04:35] that. Thank you. Uh it's the people in [00:04:39] the the parking lot. Okay, that's the [00:04:41] present suffering. [00:04:43] It pales in comparison when you know [00:04:46] what you're fighting for and more [00:04:47] importantly who you're fighting for.