Lance Armstrong Roasted For Questioning The "Fairness" Of Trans Athletes

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Lance Armstrong Rides Al Qudra Cycling Track
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 06: Lance Armstrong looks on during "Ride With Lance" at Al Qudra Cycling Track on October 06, 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Lance Armstrong might want to sit out a debate about athletic fairness.

Lance Armstrong was once the greatest cyclist on the planet. When he won the Tour de France in 1999, he was the first American in nearly a decade to win the race. Then he proceeded to win the next six races in a row. That made him the most dominant rider in the race's history. However, it all came crashing down when, in 2012, he admitted to prolonged and prolific steroid use throughout his career. His titles were stripped and now he is considered a dark stain on the sport's history.

Meanwhile, the war against transgender individuals in the United States continues. Per the Trans Legislation Tracker, 590 anti-trans bills have been submitted to 49 state legislatures (shout out to Delaware). These bills fundamentally seek to erase trans people, be it physically or societally. Furthermore, the right wing especially is obsessed with is the issue of trans athletes. Despite victories by trans athletes being so rare that each one warrants its own news cycle, there are those who believe that they are the biggest problem facing women's sports. It appears that Armstrong is one of these people.

Armstrong Comments On The "Fairness" Of Trans Athletes

In a stunning lack of self-awareness, Armstrong was just "asking questions" about trans athletes. "Is there not a world in which one can be supportive of the transgender community and curious about the fairness of Trans athletes in sport yet not be labeled a transphobe or a bigot as we ask questions? Do we yet know the answers? And do we even want to know the answers?" Once again, for clarification - the success of trans athletes is so minimal that it is essentially insignificant.

Read More: Brittney Griner defends the inclusion of trans athletes; says everyone has a right to play sports and be themselves

However, it was surprising that Armstrong wanted to talk about fairness. After all, it wasn't a trans athlete who was stripped of 7 Tour de France medals due to rampant cheating. It's weird that when people are just trying to be themselves, that's when Armstrong cares about fairness. Social media was in agreement, absolutely roasting Armstrong for the tone-deaf take. Armstrong, predictably, responded by decrying that the art of debate was dead and that "you can't ask questions anymore". Follow all the latest sports news here on HotNewHipHop.

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About The Author
Benjamin Mock (they/them) is a sports and culture writer working out of Philadelphia. Previously writing for the likes of Fixture, Dexerto, Fragster, and Jaxon, Ben has dedicated themselves to engaging and accessible articles about sports, esports, and internet culture. With a love for the weirder stories, you never quite know what to expect from their work.