Famed social science writer Malcolm Gladwell has become the latest to speak out against trans athletes, reversing a stance he made clear in 2022 in support of their participation on teams that align with their gender identity. That year, Gladwell moderated a panel on trans inclusion in sports at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. He now says he was cowed into voicing his support for trans athletes and is ashamed of his performance at that panel. Related LGBTQ+ advocate Rep. Ro Khanna slams arrest of anti-trans activist over menacing social media posts The idea of saying anything on this issue I was, I believe in retrospect, in a dishonest way, I was objective in a dishonest way, he said during an appearance on The Real Science of Sport podcast.Gladwell did not mince words, spending almost ten minutes of the two-hour interview railing against trans inclusion in sports to the point of calling it crazy to support trans women athletes at all. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today It was a particular moment, which has passed, he said, seemingly implying he is basing his opinion on cultural trends. If we did a replay of that exact panel at the Sloan conference this coming March, it runs in exactly the opposite direction. And it would be, I suspect, near unanimity in the room that trans athletes have no place in the female category. I dont think theres any question.He emphasized he is 100 percent against trans women participating on womens teams. This argument has gone to the furthest extreme, he said. What the trans movement is not asking for is a place at the table; theyre not asking to be treated with respect and dignity. What theyre asking is for no one to question the considerable physiological advantages they bring to the sport This is nuts. When asked why attitudes trended toward support for trans athletes for a little while, he said it was because we all went crazy during the pandemic. What weve won is in some sense, we have returned to normal.This is contradictory to actual history. No state had a law banning trans kids from playing school sports with their gender before 2021. In fact, some states, like California, had laws protecting their right to play school sports for years at that point. The wave of anti-trans legislation started in 2021 many conservatives even cite the pandemic as key to rallying people to oppose trans rights and now over half of the states ban trans kids from playing school sports.He also said he thinks opinions have shifted because parents are realizing their daughters might be forced to compete against a biological male. Thats why its unsustainable because parents are not going to put up with this sort of bullsh*t.Gladwell was clearly proud of what he said, as he posted a link to the interview on social media and wrote, I went on my favorite podcast to talk about my favorite topic! I went on my favorite podcast to talk about my favorite topic! Malcolm Gladwell Talks Sport https://t.co/Akoi7qDos6 via @YouTube Malcolm Gladwell (@Gladwell) September 3, 2025Gladwell, who is Canadian, is considered by many to be a cultural icon and is known for his analyses of human psychology and behavior in books like The Tipping Point, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw. He has said in interviews that he tries to make his writing apolitical.He has spoken out against the president many times, though, calling his first term disastrous and saying it is completely baffling that he still had so much support during his third campaign for president, especially after he became a convicted felon. Despite his expertise on social trends, he said the presidents continued popularity is a phenomenon I cannot begin to explain. The current administrations vilification of trans athletes has been successful at pushing many who once supported trans inclusion farther to the right on the issue. Even some Democrats, like Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, have begun to speak out against trans athletes.Growing public opinion against trans inclusion in sports has not only led to the banning of trans athletes from leagues around the country, but also to national hate campaigns against trans children. 17-year-old AB Hernandez, for example, became the target ofhate and harassmentwhen the president of a local school board publicly doxxed the multi-sport athlete and outed her as transgender. Right-wing activists misgendered her and called her mom evil. Swarms of adults showed up toheckleher at games, Charlie KirkpushedGov. Gavin Newsom (D) to condemn her, and the presidentthreatenedto withhold federal funding from California over her participation. A February executive order also threatens to block federal funding for schools that allow trans girls and women to compete on girls and womens sports teams. The order directed the Department of Justice to prosecute schools that allow trans sports participation. Another orderrescinded the Biden administrations interpretation of Title IX. President Joe Bidens position was that Title IX prohibited anti-trans school policies as a form of sex-based discrimination, since its impossible to discriminate against transgender students without taking their sex into account.Policies on trans sports participation used to be decided by local school boards, state athletic associations, and governing bodies overseeing certain sports and schools. However, Republicans have passed bans on trans sports participation in 28 states all since the 2020 elections though courts have blocked six of the states from enforcing their bans. Nevertheless, the presidents executive ordersare meant topressure colleges, universities, and sports governing bodies, like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA),to adopt trans sports bans.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.