In this live‑stream commentary, the speaker reacts to FINA’s recent decision to bar transgender athletes who transitioned after puberty from competing in elite women’s swimming events. He frames the issue around fairness, arguing that individuals assigned male at birth retain physiological advantages that undermine cis‑female competitors who have trained their whole lives. He cites a criminal‑prison example to illustrate perceived dangers of gender‑based self‑identification. The speaker explains FINA’s proposed “open” category and the rule that only those who transition before puberty may be eligible for women’s events. He reveals his personal stake: he is preparing to interview Caitlyn Jenner on his "Disruptors" podcast, intending to ask the foundational question “What is a woman?” and to explore how gender identity intersects with elite sport. Throughout, he solicits viewer engagement, asking the audience to comment the word “Disruptors” for a link to the upcoming interview and to the broader podcast archive.
Chapters
So transgender swimmers have just been banned from elite women's swimming events. Now, I wouldn't usually comment on something like this, but I have a very vested interest, and there's a specific reason that I am. I'll tell you that in a moment. But I've always wondered How is it fair that someone with a physiological and biological advantage is allowed to compete in women's events? But of course, certainly in swimming, being one of the major events where transgender athletes have been competing, of course one's right to identify as a certain sex. This has been something that has been up for debate. But imagine you are a female athlete, you are biologically female, and you train your whole life, you dedicate 50 hours a week your whole life, and then someone who's essentially born a male and is a male, even if they don't identify, they come in your sport with a major physiological, biological advantage. That's going to be pretty annoying to you. So I certainly understand from a female competitor's point of view. Now, of course, then there's the issue of who you identify as. Now, I don't know if you saw recently, there was a rather interesting case of a man who identified as a woman who was a criminal. He identified as a woman, he stood firm, and they put this criminal man in a female prison, and the man started raping the women in the female prison just because he identified as a woman, even though he was actually a man. Anyway, I'd love your thoughts on this. Now, this is not something you'd normally see or hear me comment about, but here's the reason why I am. I'm— and this isn't breaking news, by the way— but I'm actually interviewing Caitlyn Jenner for my podcast Disruptors. Caitlyn Jenner, probably one of the most famous, whether you call he or she or they transgender was a man, became a woman, and was a very successful athlete. And I'm actually interviewing them in, I think, about a week's time. So I'm wildly excited and somewhat nervous about this interview. One of my biggest guests ever. And I'm thinking of asking the first question, what is a woman? Because the definition of sex has obviously become more blurred, more open to interpretation. Identity, self-identity. Now look, I personally think anyone can identify as whoever or whatever they want. I'm cool with that. Who am I to judge? But when you were born a man and you enter a female sport with a biological and physiological advantage, How is that fair and right for all those women who've been training their whole life? So the breaking news is that the world swimming governing body, which is known as FINA, has voted to stop transgender athletes competing in women's elite swimming races. Now, of course, there's a lot more transgender people than there used to be, And I think FINA have made it clear they don't want to exclude transgender. In fact, they're talking about setting up an open category. Now, this open category would be where transgender people could compete, or if they were born one sex and chose to change to another, they could compete. So, so there's a lot of scientists involved in this. And FINA have said that if someone identifies as a woman but they're a male before puberty and then they go through the necessary procedure, they may be allowed to compete. But once they've gone through puberty, they will not be able to compete in women's events. Now, like I said, I wouldn't normally comment on stuff like this. I actually think it's quite an important discussion. I think it's very topical. The issue of sex and gender is definitely evolving for sure. Um, so let me know what you think. Do you think that transgender people who've identified or chosen to identify as a woman even though they were born a man should be allowed to enter women's swimming events? Do you agree with the decision that FINA have made that if you are born a man and you don't change your gender after puberty then you are banned from competing in women's swimming events. And though they don't want to exclude transgender people, they're saying actually that most sport is exclusion. So heavyweights is excluding all the other weights, and you wouldn't have a heavyweight with a lightweight. That would be unfair. That's what they're saying about transgender swimming, um, in a women's competitive event. Now the reason I'm very interested in this, and you've got some breaking news here by the way, is that I'm actually interviewing Caitlyn Jenner, who obviously was not Caitlyn before and was a male successful athlete and actually chose to change their, her, his agenda and gender. So that will be on the, I think it's the 27th, so it's about a week. By the way, just write Disruptors in the comments if you'd like a link to my podcast and a link to that interview. Just write the word Disruptors in the comments because I've interviewed— I've done over 1,000 episodes now of my podcast Disruptors. I've interviewed, I think, 18 billionaires. I think we've got 4 or 5 lined up, all sorts of really interesting people. I've got one guest I interviewed last week going viral on all my channels. So if you write the word Disruptors in the, the comments. I'll give you access to my podcast if you didn't know about it, and all these disruptive guests. And the big one, Caitlyn Jenner, what, 15 million followers on Instagram, one of the most famous people in the world. Obviously the Jenner family, the massive influencers, the daughters, Jenner, the Jenners on Instagram. This is huge news. Also, my question to you would be What is a woman? So this is— this has come under scrutiny and discussion, and the definition of a woman, and probably a man, has very much evolved and is changing. What are your thoughts on what is a woman? And do you agree with FINA, who are swimming's governing body, who voted to stop transgender athletes from competing in women's swimming events. So just a quick live, thought it'd be good to discuss it. Let me know what you think in the comments. Let me know if you think that Caitlyn Jenner is a good guest and write disruptors in the chat, in the comments below, if you'd like access to that interview and about 1,000 other episodes and interviews with billionaires and disruptors and some of the, the world's most challenging, controversial people My latest guest is going viral on just about every channel right now. So put disruptors in the chat and let me ask you one more time, what is a woman?
