Lance Armstrong discusses transgender athletes with Caitlyn Jenner on 'The Forward with Lance Armstrong'.

Storied Cheater Lance Armstrong Suddenly Very Concerned About Fairness of Trans Athletes

Ring the alarm! Another conservative grifter has now entered the chat!

Recommended Videos

In one of the most bizarre moments of 2023 (so far) cyclist and known steroid abuser Lance Armstrong has returned to the public eye to … talk about fairness when it comes to trans athletes in sports.

Now I know what you’re thinking: why the hell would Lance Armstrong, known for cheating in sports, want to lecture the world about trans athletes? Well, that’s because he must’ve realized being a right-wing grifter is super profitable, especially since trans people are such a hot topic at the moment.

But I promise, this story is so much dumber than you think.

Armstrong is “just asking questions” about trans athletes

Armstrong’s road to being a grifter began last Saturday when he posted a thread to Twitter announcing a new series where he is going to “dive into this issue with an open mind in an attempt to learn as much as possible from all sides of the debate.” He accompanied this thread with a video where he says that people don’t want to have this conversation because they’re scared of being “fired, shamed, or canceled,” but he’s “not afraid of any of that.”

Armstrong also lamented that people should be able to “be supportive of the transgender community and curious about the fairness of Trans athletes in sport” without being labeled as a “transphobe or a bigot.” And, like all of the grifters who came before him, Armstrong is implying that he’s just asking questions for those who are too afraid of the “woke” mob to ask.

As if this series couldn’t possibly be worse, Armstrong’s first guest is Caitlyn Jenner, a trans woman, former Olympian, and fellow conservative grifter who’s constantly online rallying against the trans community on all issues from sports to having basic human rights.

However, the ironic part of Armstrong’s new series is (of course) his preaching about fairness in sports, given that he’s a legend in the world of sports for CHEATING!

Yes, you read that right, Armstrong, the leader of keeping things super fair and balanced in sports, is a bonafide cheater. In 2012, Armstrong was stripped of his cycling titles after it was revealed that he had used performance-enhancing drugs during his professional career. Sports Illustrated reported that “The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said Armstrong was the ringleader of ‘the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.’”

This scandal is so well-known that not only did multiple people on Twitter call him out, but Twitter itself corrected his claim with a Community Note that reads, “Lance Armstrong was not “cancelled.” Armstrong was the most dominant and successful professional cyclist in history, until 2013 when he was found to have been doping and was stripped of his titles and awards. Armstrong himself later admitted to cheating for over a decade.”

So, unsurprisingly, people online were waiting in the wings to tell Armstrong to sit out of this conversation as he’s implying trans athletes competing in their respective sport isn’t fair, but using performance-enhancing drugs is totally chill and fair. 

Below are some of the best responses to Armstrong’s ridiculous announcement:

Armstrong is not just “asking questions” because he’s curious about trans athletes and wants to have an honest conversation about this topic. He’s asking questions because he knows this is a highly volatile subject and he wants to capitalize on it. Having Caitlyn Jenner as his first guest is more than enough evidence that he’s not serious about this. Just add Armstrong to the laundry list of right-wing conservatives who are stepping on the trans community to make a quick buck.

(featured image: screenshot/WEDŪ)


The Mary Sue is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Kayla Harrington
Kayla Harrington
Kayla Harrington (she/her) is a staff writer who has been working in digital media since 2017, starting at Mashable before moving to BuzzFeed and now here at The Mary Sue. She specializes in Marvel (Wanda Maximoff did nothing wrong!), pop culture, and politics. When she's not writing or lurking on TikTok, you can find Kayla reading the many unread books on her shelves or cuddling with one of her four pets. She's also a world class chef (according to her wife) and loves to try any recipe she can find.