Whoopi Goldberg’s comments on trans athletes in sports sparked a fiery debate, challenging Joe Rogan’s views on fairness, gender, & competition.

Credit: JRE /@YouTube

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that the truth can be a slippery creature—especially when you throw in some hot-button topics like gender, sports, and personal identity. Take Whoopi Goldberg, for instance, who recently set the stage for a conversation that might just get under Joe Rogan’s skin a little more than usual.

On The View, Goldberg boldly declared that female athletes “know what they’re doing,” while discussing the inclusion of trans women in sports.

Joe Rogan | Credit: The Joe Rogan Experience via YouTube

Goldberg’s stance? Women are powerful athletes, and they don’t deserve to be sidelined in the conversation about fairness. But here’s the twist: this isn’t the kind of thing that could fly under Rogan’s radar.

Whoopi Goldberg’s words: A rallying cry for women in sports

When Whoopi Goldberg raised her voice on The View, the point was crystal clear: Women athletes are not the weak links in the conversation about fairness in sports, and they certainly don’t need to be painted as such. She was addressing the controversial issue of trans women competing in female sports, responding directly to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s criticism of it as “deeply unfair”.

Goldberg asked Dylan Mulvaney, a trans influencer, for her thoughts on Newsom’s comments (per Daily Mail).

Mulvaney deflected the question by joking:
The last time I played a sport, I was six-years-old, and I was on a soccer team, but I assigned myself as the nurse, so I sat with the Band-Aids. And so in the words of Wicked, I am not that girl.
Goldberg, however, didn’t back down, and her message was direct:
When you come in and you say, these are men competing against women, you’re assuming that the women are weak and just can’t do anything. Have you seen female athletes? They know what they’re doing!

Whoopi Goldberg in a still from The View | Credits: ABC

Her passionate declaration was aimed not just at Mulvaney, but at anyone who might think women in sports are at a disadvantage. She was advocating for women to be seen as capable, skilled, and deserving of equal opportunities in the conversation about fairness in sports.

But while Goldberg’s comment was all about championing women, it likely sounded more like a challenge to Joe Rogan, who has a very different take. Moreover, Riley Gaines’ tweet calling Goldberg’s comments “blasphemy” expresses her strong disapproval, accusing the latter of being morally wrong and out of touch with the fairness issues surrounding trans women in sports.

Joe Rogan’s stand: The need for standards and boundaries

Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience | Credits: PowerfulJRE/YouTube

Joe Rogan isn’t exactly known for his subtlety when it comes to discussing controversial topics. His Netflix special, Burn the Boats, is filled with his unfiltered opinions on trans issues, among other hot topics (via NY Times). And let’s be real, when he talks about the inclusion of trans women in sports, he’s less about showing sympathy and more about questioning the very framework of it all. His stance seems to be:

I just want to be real clear. I believe in trans people. Because I think the world is strange and nature is strange, and nature can throw you a curveball and you believe you’re in the wrong body. And I fully support your right as an adult to do whatever you want that makes you happy. I believe in freedom, and I believe in love. But I also believe in crazy people.

His belief in standards and structure leads him to openly question where the line should be drawn, further adding:

It’s almost like a pervert wizard waved a magic spell on the whole world. ‘With a wave of this wand, you can walk into the women’s locker room with a hard c*ck, and anybody who complains is a Nazi. Abracadabra!’ And it just works!

And everyone just accepts this new reality, and it’s f–king weird. I just think we need standards. You can’t just put lipstick on and now you can s–t in the women’s room!

This stark and controversial view is just one example of how Rogan sees the shift in societal norms around trans inclusion.

His approach to issues like these is tough to swallow for some—especially those on the other side of the debate. Whoopi Goldberg’s words about female athletes are a clear call to action, but for Rogan, it’s just another signal. He’s all for personal freedom, but when it comes to spaces where physical competition is on the line, he believes there has to be more than just acceptance—there needs to be structure and fairness.