In a strongly worded statement, Lia Thomas — the NCAA champion swimmer whose participation in women’s competitions sparked national headlines — accused Musk of “fueling hate under the guise of fairness.”

“Elon Musk is not a sports authority. He’s a billionaire playing culture war games from behind a screen,” Thomas said. “Trans women are not cheaters. We are athletes who train, compete, and belong.”

Italian para-athlete Valentina Petrillo, the first transgender woman to compete in women’s para-track events in Europe, also condemned Musk’s remarks, calling them “dangerous, dehumanizing, and based on fear, not facts.”

“This kind of rhetoric puts lives at risk,” Petrillo warned. “It emboldens discrimination and undermines everything sport stands for: inclusion, perseverance, and respect.”

The backlash follows Musk’s viral post on X (formerly Twitter), where he called for a boycott of competitions “that allow biological males to erase women from the podium,” and proposed harsh penalties for what he labeled “gender fraud” in sports.

While some conservative commentators and women’s rights advocates applauded Musk’s stance, critics say his comments ignore the complexity of the issue and further stigmatize an already vulnerable group.

Prominent LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have urged sponsors and athletic organizations to publicly denounce Musk’s remarks. Meanwhile, several trans athletes have reported increased harassment and online abuse since Musk’s post went viral.

Despite the uproar, Musk doubled down, tweeting late Monday night:

“If that offends people, maybe they should rethink why fairness in sport matters. I won’t apologize for telling the truth.”

With the debate reaching new levels of hostility, sporting federations around the world are now under renewed pressure to take a stand — one way or the other.