Rob Gronkowski doesn't support transgender men competing in women's sports
Rob Gronkowski (Getty Images)
As the debate over transgender participation in women's sports reaches a new peak in 2025, a quote from Rob Gronkowski is suddenly back in circulation and it's as blunt as ever. The NFL legend's comments are being revisited online as leagues, lawmakers, and athletes take firm positions on who should be allowed to compete in female categories.
'There are men's sports for men, women's for women': Rob Gronk's words strike again in a divided sports world
In an October 2023 interview with
Fox News
and the
Daily Caller
, Rob Gronkowski made his stance crystal clear:
'There's really no argument. It's the obvious,'
he said.
'There are men's sports for men, there's women's sports for women. It should just stay like that. How it's been is how it should be. Men play men's sports, women play women's sports. It's as simple as that. It's really unfair if a man went into a women's sport and played it.
It just doesn't really make much sense to me."
At the time, the comment made headlines but now, nearly two years later, it's resurfacing across social media as new policies echo the very sentiment Gronk voiced.
The timing isn't random. In February 2025, the U.S. government issued a sweeping executive order redefining Title IX protections, stating that women's sports teams must be 'reserved for biological females.'
Since then, several leagues including the NCAA, USA Track & Field, and swimming's World Aquatics have adjusted their eligibility rules in line with that definition.
With the sports world recalibrating, Gronkowski's 2023 soundbite is being clipped, quoted, and reposted as symbolic of a broader shift.
Other athletes are echoing similar opinions and fueling the fire
Gronk's stance isn't isolated. In recent months, several current and former athletes have joined the conversation:
Jonathan Isaac
(NBA) praised the Title IX move and emphasized protecting fairness in women's sports.
Riley Gaines
, former collegiate swimmer, has become a prominent voice advocating for biological sex-based competition.
Meanwhile, some athletes including WNBA players and Olympic stars are pushing back, calling the new rules discriminatory and harmful to trans youth.
So Gronk's words now sit at the intersection of sport, law, and culture, a flashpoint in a fast-evolving conversation.
Rob Gronkowski's 2023 remarks weren't part of any campaign or legislative effort, they were just his raw, unfiltered opinion. But in 2025, they've taken on new weight. As sports organizations codify rules and public figures line up on either side of the aisle, Gronk's quote serves as a reminder of how deeply personal, political, and polarizing this debate has become.
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