I know you understand the difference from when Riley competed and now. When she competed there wasn’t much info on it. No one had spoken out against it. It did take a little time to realize what was happening.
If she was competing today don’t you think she would refuse? People esp young girls needed a voice. She was willing to be it even as she has been vilified and received death threats.
Remember that she had already been openly opposed to trannies competing in women’s sports at the time. There was more than enough “info on it” available to every one of these competitors.