Stephen A Smith tells Bill Maher biological men shouldn’t compete in women’s sports: ‘Period!’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Outspoken ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith isn’t sitting on the fence when it comes to fairness in sports.

During a recent appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, Smith laid out his stance on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports in blunt terms.

Smith takes a clear stance

Smith was sitting across from Bill Maher when the topic turned to transgender participation in women’s sports.

“Biological men should not be competing against biological girls in sports, period,” Smith said after the Olympics’ transgender policy came up. “What about protecting the young ladies? Young ladies going up against biological men — biological men — there is no excuse for that.”

As the crowd roared its approval, Smith quickly added a qualifier to avoid any confusion about where he stands. "I am a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. I don't want to get in the way of anyone's civil rights, civil liberties, or anything like that," he said.

Still, Smith doubled down on his argument by pointing to controversial transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.

“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?” Smith asked.

Maher asked whether the issue could turn into a political headache for Democrats. Smith didn’t hesitate. “That’s their own damn problem,” he fired back, drawing another wave of applause from the studio audience.

The exchange came just days after the International Olympic Committee announced a new requirement that female-category athletes will have to undergo SRY gene screening ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. IOC President Kirsty Coventry said it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.

Smith has held this position for a while

It's worth noting that Smith has been singing the same tune for a while.

Back in February 2025, during a Super Bowl Radio Row appearance, he made a similar distinction.

“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,” he said at the time.

“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,” Smith added.

That stance resurfaced in June when Smith spoke with former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines on The Stephen A. Smith Show.

“I side with you one thousand percent. I’m not scared to say it," he told Gaines. “If you’re a man transitioning into being a woman,” he said, “compete against other men transitioning into women.”

“It shouldn’t be you infiltrating women’s sports in that way. I’ve always agreed with that position," he added.

Last year, Trump signed the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order, directing federal agencies to interpret Title IX based on biological sex at birth. The NCAA complied by adjusting its own policy.