Bob Costas, a seasoned sportscaster, criticized transgender athletes for competing in women’s sports and refuted the idea that advocating for “common sense” is transphobic.
On Friday’s episode of “Real Time,” host Bill Maher asked the panelists to comment on Lia Thomas’s lawsuit against World Aquatics to compete in women’s swimming at the Summer Olympics. Thomas is a transgender swimmer from Penn who made headlines in 2022 after winning the NCAA Division I national championship.
Costas responded negatively when asked if it is just to make women compete against transsexual women.
Before the Olympic Court, LIA Thomas challenges the World Aquatics’ policy regarding transgender athletes.
“People might not be aware of this, but each of the federations that oversee these sports creates its own set of regulations. Thus, World Aquatics might operate under different regulations than the Track and Field Association or FIFA,” Costas said. “I am aware that the organization permits trans women to participate against biological women who are born as women in boxing at the Olympics. That appears absurd.”
“It’s not transphobic to say ‘Let’s inject some common sense here,'” Costas shouted. “Much of this is unclear. We are aware that some individuals who use this as a matter of contention are in fact antagonistic against transgender persons, or those who, at some point in their lives, determine that they will be happiest and most true to themselves after giving it significant thought.
