The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recent ban on men competing in women’s sports has drawn the approval of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
“Biological men should not be competing against biological girls in sports, period,” Smith said on Real Time with Bill Maher during a discussion of the Olympic trans ban.
“What about protecting the young ladies? Young ladies going up against biological men — biological men — there is no excuse for that.”
Smith specifically cited the case of male swimmer Lia Thomas, who began swimming in the female category after an unremarkable career in men’s swimming.
“Lia Thomas, for example, was a male, and he was ranked over 400th in the world. … And then he became a she. … And No. 1. Well … does it really take an Einstein to realize that there’s something wrong with that picture?”
While Smith is opposed to males competing in girls’ and women’s sports, he has made it clear that he is not against transgender people in general.
“So, that’s how I look at it. LGBTQ rights and all that stuff, I’m in full support of that, but when transgender athletes — men — are transitioning to women and they’re competing in female sports, that’s a different animal to me,” Smith said during a Super Bowl Radio Row interview in 2025.
“That’s not just about LGBTQ rights. That’s about preying on the rights of females out there everywhere who were born female, and they’re at a decided disadvantage.”
At least as far as transgender athletes go, the powers that be have come to see things Smith’s way. Not only have the Olympics changed their policy, but the NCAA has also changed its rules to bar men from women’s sports.
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