ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith is making no apologies for his stance on transgender athletes in women’s sports, and this time, the International Olympic Committee’s latest policy decision has given his position a major platform.
The IOC recently announced that it will no longer permit transgender women to compete in women’s events at the Olympic Games. For Smith, the ruling was not just justified but long overdue. “Biological men should not be competing against biological girls in sports. Period,” Smith said during the segment.
Smith was careful to frame his comments, noting his support for LGBTQ+ individuals and their civil rights. His concern, he explained, is not about diminishing anyone’s identity but about the integrity of women’s competition and the protection of female athletes.
“I am a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. I don’t want to get in the way of anybody’s civil rights, civil liberties, or anything like that. But what about protecting the young ladies?” he said. “Young ladies going up against men, biological men, there is no excuse for that.”
To illustrate his point, Smith pointed to the high-profile case of swimmer Lia Thomas, who competed on the University of Pennsylvania’s men’s team before transitioning and going on to dominate at the collegiate women’s level.
“You know, Lia Thomas, for example, was a male, and she was ranked like over 400th in the world,” Smith said. “And then he became a she, went into transitioning, and became number one. Does it really take an Einstein to realize that there’s something wrong with that picture?”
Smith acknowledged that his commentary stays firmly within the realm of sports, which he considers his area of expertise. He also pointed out what he sees as a glaring one-sidedness to the conversation.
“We certainly don’t see biological women transitioning and trying to compete in men’s sports. I don’t hear about that,” he observed. “There is no reason for a biological male to be competing in women’s sports.”
