In classic Elon Musk fashion, one blunt tweet has triggered a massive online uproar, this time over the explosive topic of gender and fairness in sports.
On Tuesday morning, the billionaire tech mogul and CEO of X (formerly Twitter) posted the following message to his 190+ million followers:
“No biological males should be allowed to compete in women’s sports. Period.”
The tweet — just ten words long — immediately detonated across the platform, sparking a full-blown culture war in the replies, quote tweets, and trending hashtags. Within minutes, hashtags like #ProtectWomenSports, #TransRightsAreHumanRights, and #MuskMeltdown were trending worldwide.
Supporters praised Musk for “finally saying what others are afraid to,” claiming he was standing up for fairness and safety in women’s athletics. Prominent athletes, coaches, and even politicians joined the conversation, some applauding his stance and urging national sports organizations to take action.
But critics fired back hard, accusing Musk of transphobia, stoking division, and weaponizing his platform to target marginalized communities. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups called the tweet “dangerous rhetoric” and urged X’s advertisers to reconsider their partnerships.
One user wrote:
“When you give a billionaire unlimited reach and no accountability, this is what happens. He’s using women’s sports as a wedge issue.”
Musk, unfazed, doubled down hours later, tweeting:
“This isn’t hate. It’s common sense. We must protect the integrity of women’s competition.”
This is not the first time Musk has waded into controversial political territory — from pronouns and gender ideology to free speech and media bias, he has repeatedly used his platform to push hot-button topics into the spotlight.
While X continues to position itself as a “free speech haven,” the platform is now once again under pressure to moderate content many consider harmful — or risk another advertiser exodus.
Whether you agree with him or not, one thing is clear: Elon Musk knows how to dominate the conversation, and this time, he’s lit a fire under one of the most polarizing debates in modern sports.