TheQuartering [4/1/2022]
In Thursday’s episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, the podcast’s namesake discussed transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, and how having biological males like Thomas compete against female competitors is “unfair.”
“What it is now is not good. What it is now is assault on women’s sports, and the idea that anybody would think it’s fair that someone who was number 462 as a man, 462 in the nation is number one as a woman a year later, and that’s fair,” said Rogan.
Thomas had previously competed as a man up until this year, and was ranked 462 in the nation as a male swimmer, skyrocketing to being ranked just a year later as number one amongst female athletes.
“You don’t think maybe it was her passion for swimming that got her to number one? Or changing diet?” Joked episode guest Yannis Pappas.
“Could be, maybe just becoming her true self,” Rogan responded.
“I can’t think of any other factor it could be. I’m just going passion for swimming,” Pappas said.
“Maybe, you’re probably right,” Rogan joked.
Rogan continued on to say that “it’s just not fair” to have these biological males compete against female athletes.
“But that might be the woke straw that breaks society’s camel’s back. Women are so frustrated, or parents. If your daughter is competing, and they’re competing against a trans woman, it’s not fair. It’s just not fair. No matter what anybody says. There’s this nonsense idea of like, well, there’s outliers — there’s outliers and then there’s biological males, right? That’s beyond outliers.
Rogan continued on to state that in other aspects of society, a person can be accepted if they are trans. Sports is where people seem to draw the line.
“Well, it’s interesting because in all other aspects of society, it’s pretty much a given that, you know, a person can become trans and change their name and we’re all pretty accepting of it. Where people have the most pushback is in sports, athletic competition. That’s where the real pushback is, right? Where people like ‘Hey, fuck right. This is not fair.’ This is clearly not fair, is a reason why we have a distinction between men and women’s sports.
“And it’s ironic because the people on that side usually always champion equality and nobody having an advantage and you know, the people who are maybe disenfranchised or less capable should have an equal opportunity and by throwing someone like Lia Thomas in there, you’re kind of — that’s the opposite of that,” Pappas responded.