Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson suggested on Club Random with Bill Maher that sports should no longer be separated by gender and that athletes instead be categorized by hormone ratios. He said, “In this emergent space, where you have people expressing themselves on a gender spectrum, and you want to now compete in sports… maybe we don’t compete by gender anymore, we compete on hormone ratios.”

During the conversation, Maher highlighted the practical consequences of Tyson’s proposal, noting that men could reduce testosterone to compete in women’s sports, but women could not increase testosterone to compete in men’s leagues. This, he argued, would effectively eliminate women-only sports while leaving men’s leagues intact.

Tyson further claimed that hormones determine whether an individual produces sperm or eggs, a point Maher disputed, emphasizing that biological differences cannot be reversed by adjusting hormone levels.

The debate included a historical comparison by Tyson, who cited past misuses of “science” to justify racial hierarchies, which Maher rejected. Their discussion builds on prior clashes over transgender athletes and scientific publications supporting gender inclusivity in sports.

Critics argue Tyson’s proposal would dismantle women’s sports, give men competitive advantages, and undermine fairness and the integrity of athletic competition.