Is Michael Phelps Transphobic? - S3 Ep3

Thank you Better Help for sponsoring today's episode
Emily's KZbin Channel: / @emilybrostaff
Make sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @PodcastATI
Follow Rachel anywhere @MissRballer
Reminder, we don't really fact check or look into anything. This is not the news. We just see stuff on the internet and talk about what we saw.

[@charleyrace9553]

I love how Emily completely forgets that this is ATI and not Rachel uncensored 😭

[@devinnedianne]

She’s great 👏

[@insanekarlaa]

Man, can Emily be the co-host of Rachel uncensored once a month because the vibes of this duo are immaculate 😎.

[@MikoBaiko]

yes please or transition the podcast to that !

[@tristianjennings8371]

Ahhh!! I’m dyingggg!! Thanks for the mention!! 🥰 I love the pod & have been watching since episode one!! Thanks for making my Mondays better ladies! 🖤

[@sofiam3344]

Absolutely no disrespect whatsoever. I just wanted to say being double jointed is the complete opposite of an advantage (in my opinion). I swam from 10 years and unfortunately had to stop because of two shoulder surgeries to fix my hyper mobility in my shoulders. I know this isn’t the point of the conversation, but I just wanted to throw that out there.

[@leahford8341]

(No disrespect either) In your case being double jointed can be bad, I am double jointed in my elbows and a gymnast so it will hurt from time to time. But in his case it does give him an advantage.

[@thewillow3457]

Rachel is the only person I have ever heard of that is like me when it comes to monogamy. I cant find other people attractive if im into someone or dating someone. I dont understand how people can even think or obsess with other people much less cheat or date multiple. So glad I am not just an alien.

[@andreanoelle8135]

Me too!

[@ronnibarber3418]

It's so funny how emely forgets that this isn't Rachel uncensored

[@MikoBaiko]

it should change to this !!

[@hannahhailey901]

I have a small objection to your comments on PR teams “censoring” clients due to someone’s opinion not being politically correct. Just because an opinion is not politically correct does not mean that, that person is not entitled to their own opinion or thoughts. As a reminder at one point in history segregation was “politically correct” and widely accepted. Opinions and thoughts matter, no one should infringe on someone’s ability to form their own thoughts or opinions

[@cami.nadamas]

THE ORANGE IN THE BACK HAHAHAHAHA I JUST NOTICED

[@vincesaylor7833]

@EmilyBrostaff: Sport has categories based on sex, weight and age. Everyone has to play in the correct category. There are no categories based on genetic anomalies like lactic acid so your argument about Michael Phelps is completely off base.

[@verarohlinjohansson4291]

On the Lia Thomas subject, I think you guys should’ve done some more research. I think there should be a way to let trans kiddos compete, but the NCAA completely failed womens sports on this one. The best way to put it is that if you look at the mens and womens world records in swimming, women are on average 12% slower than mens world records. However, at the time of the NCAA championship this year, Lia Thomas was only 4% slower than she was when she competed as a male athlete prior to transitioning. It was not just a biological advantage, the NCAA should have prevented the controversy Lia has faced because it is not her fault, it is the NCAA’s fault.

[@TheHaboubification]

Rachel's little dance while Emily is talking about micheal phelps at 15:02 , killed me hahahhhahhahahhaha😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@mondler107]

I am shook that Rachel CAN'T smell ants and ladybugs. I thought everyone could 🤣

[@mattieyoncha6243]

My favorite picture of Rachel is her at that one awards show. The short dress and the curls in the rain with the lights. She looked SO good

[@princetydy7756]

I'm ftm trans and I'm laughing at how Rachel says "hormone switchers" I like that 😂 but well thought I'd say what it's actually called just to inform but now being in a rude way as in informing way. It's Called HRT (hormone replacement therapy). Love this podcast learning news story's I'd never read about on my own

[@cleosworld9096]

I'm not trans so I'm glad that u also laughed at Rachel's hormones switcher wording. I laughed but in a loving way and then had the thought of oh no I hope that does not offend anyone.

[@emilychalmers116]

I was waiting for this video hope everyone has a great week

[@devinnedianne]

“How disgusting is that sentence” felt that Rachel

[@sasharangasammy6489]

Time stampppp

[@saylorhiggons]

@@sasharangasammy6489 8:45

[@giuliacacciatore4765]

i too can smell ants. it is so distinct and strong. i thought i was the only one. it literally smells citrusy but not in a good way. you aren’t alone emily😌

[@calliecagle7842]

Ok I am not going against Michael or Emily but I just did genetics in science but I feel like Emily is blowing up Michaels statement there are x and Y chromosomes and different traits for which ones you are given. If a female is given a Y chromosomes you can call it a genetic mutation and there is something wrong. She is taking hormone switchers to fix her genetic mutation. Emily is right no sport will ever be fair but Michael was also just stating his feels as a highly respected swimmer. Their are many people in the pair Olympics that also train all their live but because of their genes they are put in a different category

[@ArtByDesign80]

It is 100% complicated and not transphobic.

[@ArtByDesign80]

I completely disagree with Emily’s logic comparing Phelps (and other athletes) to Lia Thomas. She has EVERY RIGHT to be herself but that does not erase the fact she competed on the Penn’s men’s team for 3 years and had multiple years of testosterone before transition. So it is a complicated situation on how the to handle her situation. I do not think his statement was transphobic.

[@jesipohl6717]

Firstly in the science of sport, group stats do not predict individual performance. Low t people can still have greater muscle tone than high t people. Some ciswomen produce enough t to be banned from sport and have their identity questioned already. Some cismen have fat distribution patterns similar to ciswomen, with 20% of all cismen having actual breast tissue. Ciswomen hold records today once held by cismen indicating an investment and training gap. Ultimately, there is no categorical difference between bodies as there exists a complete overlap. People worried about ciswomen are misogynistic and those afraid of trans athletes performance are literally trans"phobic", phobic meaning afraid. Attempts to steal transpeoples glory in sport is just another instance of spoiled selfish bigotry. Tellingly, when lia lost to a pre-hormone transman, she was accused of throwing the match. How absurd. Shall we ban phelps due to his genetic mutations which are akin to doping? I say yes, as it is unfair and most swimmers cannot compete against him, pushing us more regular folk out of competition. So unfair (sarcasm)!

[@bobdonda]

@@jesipohl6717 It isn't wrong for an athlete to be "phobic" of someone competing with an unfair advantage. No one would use that word if someone was concerned an opponent was using steroids. We need to be able to have the conversation about what is or isn't unfair to biologically female athletes. A lot of people have reasonable concerns that the current rules may not be fair, and it isn't productive to try to shut down that discussion with accusations of bigotry and hate. We'll never solve the problem if it's just one side yelling "you're transphobic" and the other side yelling "you're misogynist". I think there are a lot of people who haven't thought the issue though and recognized the female athletes have valid concerns, and that's because society just got finished fighting for gay rights. People think this is exactly like the gay rights issue, where it was obvious everyone deserve equal rights and there was literally zero valid reason to be against it, there was only homophobia and hate and gay people having rights does not affect anyone else at all. But this issue is different, because it can potentially be unfair to others. Phelps made the MILDEST little comment on the issue just saying fairness in sports is important, without taking any specific position on this issue at all. But already people are bashing him as if he said "I hate those people and they don't deserve rights". As for whether the current rules are unfair... there's no reason to shut down that discussion. I think it's blatantly obvious that leagues (like high school sports) which allow trans girls to compete with male hormone levels and zero medical transition of any kind is not fair to the female athletes. It's not obvious in leagues that require HRT, but there have been athletes who were average in the men's league who become champions immediately post transition, and that raises concerns. I'm certainly not saying "ban all trans people from playing any sports forever", but we need to be able to have this conversation without the athletes being told "your concerns don't matter, only hateful bigots would care about this".

[@jesipohl6717]

@@bobdonda firstly, it's hardly a majority of female athletes, for instance only one of Lia's teammates is sharing misogynistic self-having and transphobic opinions, most have publicly supported her... ...stop generalizing, that's your first Problem... So I'm glad you agree we should ban people like Michael Phelps and other biologically unfairly advantage swimmers and athletes, still sarcasm. Phelp's comment is only mild if it's not directed at you and you have zero trans friends. It's not my fault he's transphobic and weighed in on an issue mainsplainingly and hypocritically of which he has seemingly scant knowledge.

[@bobdonda]

@@jesipohl6717 How is it transphobic to think competitions should be fair? Like I said, it's not productive when both sides leap to conclusions just so they can hurl insults at others and feel like they're justified in doing it. Stop hating, start discussing and understanding. If someone can't even say "sports should be fair competitions" without you getting angry and insulting him, how can this issue ever be solved?

[@jesipohl6717]

​@@bobdonda it's transphobic to compare transpersons with a sex/gender they were missassigned at birth. Especially, given that actual gender expression starts later anyways at around 3 years old. It's transphobic to exclude transpeople on the basis of "genetic advantage" while tolerating cisgender athletes who have been scientifically proven to have clear genetic advantages, like Michael Phelps. It's transphobic and counter consensus science to assume all transgirls or transboys look/develop a certain way. It's sexist and counter consensus science to assume all girls and all boys look/develop a certain way. It's bad statistics to generalise from cisboys to transgirls as well as from group-stats to individual performance predictions. It's sexist that the training and support gap is never discussed and it is never acknowledged how cisgirls performance always seems capable of catching up to older male records. It's fragile and defensive of you to not accept that you may have some poorly informed opinions that run counter factually to the data as well as fairness. Also, many sports use weight classes, expertise systems, etc. basing sports on genitals isn't the only way. Also, maybe we could start controlling for kids who have been given too many opportunities by wealthy families. Socioeconomic doping? Oh of course Dutch people, due to a genetic admixture quirk can be pretty tall, best to ban them too....the one thing all of this has in common is a eugenic perspective on bodies.

[@ameliabartrip7006]

Thankyou for this episode! Brought some well needed smile. I appreciate you both :)

[@loriluyckx8333]

These get better each week! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

[@raejay3308]

Emily reacting to Rachel’s admissions about her uncle is so very awesome.

[@jnbg61584]

Ants and some ladybugs definitely do have a subtle smell. I’ve noticed more of the yellow or orange ladybugs than the red ones. The ants have a smell to also tell ants nearby something like “hey, I’m hurt. I need help”

[@Ava-fe4nd]

I subscribed to Emily’s channel, i was the 54th subscriber

[@Amy-ws4nk]

Literally gonna comment every episode: I love this ❤🧡💛💚💙💜. I laugh so much 😂

[@ItIsTae]

29:35 Rachel said that Girlfriend asked her out in her comments. But I thought Girlfriend didn't know who Rachel was.. or am I getting her mixed up Joy?

[@ElizabethTheUnicorn829]

It was Joy. Girlfriend knew who she was.

[@virgilmcclendon5072]

I love how Emely is so funny and adds so much to the show. A perfect match.💖

[@CrimsonWabbit]

Record the intro once, and then just play it at the beginning. 😁🖤🖤

[@mikaylaharrington2338]

I love Emily on the podcasts!!!!! 🤍

[@MikoBaiko]

i would love a podcast with rachel and emily where it’s kind of the vibe of uncensored LIKE EMILY IS THE CO HOST I WANT ALWAYS DJSJSJDJ

[@nadeanandfirends]

Most, if not all, rodent's teeth never stop going. Sometimes, if they don't chew on thing to file them down, the bottom teeth will grow into the upper jaw and so forth.

[@heather4180]

You’re at 99 Emily! 1 more, let’s go!

[@aprilvinyard1900]

Totally using facetious wrong 🤣🤣 and. It's killin me all these people agreeing with you. ( I still love ya though) learning is growing. :) treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant. "a facetious remark"

[@sarahwimmer2952]

I’ve lived in VA for 22 years now & I can 120% smell ants & lady bugs

[@lisahaughn3522]

Fun fact Bunnies teeth never stop growing either!!

[@hollymarie113]

Was it ever revealed what photo abbie commented on and what was said? Rewatching in 2024 & incredibly curious still lol. Love to all ❤️

[@ajwarrick17]

30:32 yes you're saying it right and it basically more or less means your like kidding, joking, being sarcastic about something

[@anarchyvixyn]

Emily: 2 things to add. Notice MGK didn't do anything for his ring, just hers. *2* Brian laundry - I think he killed Kylen and Krystal the lesbian couple in Moab. Here's my thoughts: the day that they were pulled over and separated Brian was sent to a hotel in Moab. The hotel is a 3 min walk from the Tavern that Krystal and Kylen were last seen at. Krystal also worked at the Cafe that Brian and Gabby were fighting in that morning. Krystal and Kylen went camping at the grounds about 30 mins from town on the 13th, they spoke to a friend on the 14th and said a strange guy was hanging around so they were leaving and were found dead on the 18th. Brian and Gabby were fighting on the 11th. Got back together the 12th. No one knows where they were the 12th-17th. The 17th Brian was on a flight back to Florida from Salt Lake 300 miles from Moab. I think Brian saw Krystal at the tavern, recognized her from the Cafe and assumed she's who called the cops. Went to the campgrounds after getting back with Gabby and killed them. Gabby was scared and freaking out and threatened to turn him in so he killed her too. Unless he wrote that in the notebook they're never going to put it together because they wrote it as not connected 10 seconds into the investigation. But nothing has happened with Krystal and Kylen. They just got forgotten about.

[@LoveStrongerDistance]

Ladybugs do have a distinct smell. Fun fact, im allergic to them.

[@devinnedianne]

YASSS BEEN WAITING ALL DAY

[@erin3888]

i'm gonna screen cap emily's talk on trans sports the next time someone wants to argue with me because i get so angry i can't think..

[@tristianjennings8371]

Okay - I can’t relate to the ant smelling but I totally relate on being able to smell lady bugs! They DEFINITELY have a smell & did you know that the female ones can bite?! 😫

[@KelsiBlaser]

I hate ladybugs because they smell TERRIBLE and they always bite me or pee on me and then fly away. I'm convinced they're evil

[@danehull5055]

I'm with you on the smelling lady bugs. I grew up in an old house and the back porch had this window and every summer the window would be covered in these lady bug beetles. And I could smell them. So now every summer I smell lady bugs and sure enough there is a gathering of lady bugs some where in my place. Just vacuum them up and dump it in a Walmart bag and throw it out

[@tamipreston5364]

I can smell ants very strong and no one believed me till I would smell one and find it 2 feet away! Now I don't fell alone!!! Ty

[@margaretshannon36]

Hey I love you two so much do you know when you will update the pic on Spotify cuz it’s still you and your mom

[@saracompton1]

MGK probably laughed after saying that about the thorns and saying love is pain lol and its not going to actually hurt her when she takes it off. It was a joke.

[@melrox8809]

Didn't Colleen & Erik talk about the smell of ants & ladybugs? Lol I don't smell them 🤷‍♀️I smell stinkbugs.

[@Uzernam327]

@EmilyBrostaff Ants do have a smell! They secrete formic acid, which has a citrusy smell, as a defense mechanism.

[@Corvid2100]

Emily going off on Michael Phelps gave me so much serotonin

[@mandyramsden98]

Teehee was (Ryan Higa) Nigahiga’s sign off for like decade! People used it all the time!

[@simraaaaaaaa]

21:26 the loser dumps a bucket (a bid bucket or big bowl) of ice water on them selves 😂

[@natalie_laura4689]

Omg throwback to alc ice bucket challenge

[@caraallsopp9328]

the thing about squirrels teeth ..... its the same for hamsters, rabbits, mice, rats ect they always have to be eating or chowing on things to keep them short or or they can go the vets to have them filed down

[@ezzbezz242]

Oh my gosh!! I’ve got the same phobia of gouging my eye out by falling onto the fence spikes!

[@emilykrueger2700]

My sisters and I can all smell ants. It is a very distinct, bitter smell. Definitely a thing and people all think we're crazy.

[@LM-mr3fd]

I totally agree that Phelps' statement was brazenly hypocritical. That said, I don't think that the issue with transgender female athletes is just about the size of their bodies. From what I understand, higher levels of testosterone is typically the primary issue when it comes to Olympic sports and perhaps even sports in general. In track and field, all of the female athletes must be within a certain range (i.e. under a certain level) when it comes to testosterone so as to make it a fairer playing field. A higher level of testosterone is bound to be very advantageous in any athlete. It has been suggested that, if they didn't have this rule, females with higher than typical testosterone levels, whether that be due to being transgender or due to a hormonal disorder etc. would completely dominate women's track & field (and possibly women's sports in general) while females with typical levels would essentially be shut out for the most part. Any female who has higher than typical levels of testosterone and wants to be eligible to compete in Olympic track & field is expected to take medication to lower their levels. Caster Semenya, a South African 2-time gold medalist, refuses to take the medication and therefore, is no longer permitted to compete in the Olympics. As far as I know, Semenya identifies as female so she is apparently not transgender. Still, her story is very relevant to the trans female athlete cause due to the fact that she has testosterone levels in line with that of the average CIS male as opposed to the average CIS female. Personally, I find it puzzling that the Olympic Committee apparently had no problems with the atypical lactic acid levels and other genetic advantages that Phelps is known to enjoy yet. As far as I know, no rules about such levels have been put into place when it comes to Olympic swimming. So, why is that? I can't help but wonder if this obvious discrepancy has a lot to do with the fact that Phelps is a straight, white, American CIS male while Semenya is a gay, black, South African hermaphrodite who identifies as female. She was put through SO much by the Olympic Committee as well as the media who callously aired her personal medical info seemingly without any concern for her mental well-being. Not okay. Personally, I see no reason why they couldn't simply have athletes race according to their natural testosterone levels. Wrestlers wrestle according to their varying weights so why not have events designated for individuals with higher testosterone levels? That way, the way an athlete identifies is respected and those that don't want to suppress their hormones don't have to do so in order to compete in the sport that they love. Also, those females with typical levels of testosterone (whether that be naturally occurring or via hormonal suppressants) would get to compete in a more level playing field. Several trans female athletes competed in the last summer Olympics so I assume that their testosterone levels must have been under the required level to compete in women's track & field. Some trans females understandably would be fine with testosterone suppression but it is wrong to assume that everyone would be okay with it. There are also other people, like Semenya, who don't fit into the category of trans women but have other medical/genetic reasons for having heightened testosterone levels. IMO, nobody should be forced to take medications if they don't want to do so. So just add more events/categories! As for the trans female swimmer being discussed in this podcast, I don't see why there should be any problem with her competing if she is already taking hormone suppressants and is in line with the average level seen in females. This whole situation just highlights how some people with genetic differences are heralded as heroes while others are shamed and told that they should not be allowed to compete. We can and should do better than that!

[@mariaf7513]

em should do the second "sponsor" when u say it :) itd be so fun

[@daniellebrinckman7101]

THE SMELL OF ANTS! IM GLAD IM NOT THE ONLY ONE! All my friends think I'm crazy (maybe rightfully so) xD

[@jnbg61584]

There’s a jeweler reactor here that looked into Megan’s ring. It’s possible the thorn thing is more false than true

[@caitlynskowronek3652]

OMG I can smell ladybugs too. I can't smell ants, but I am kind of scared of them. Mostly just the big ones. I am terrified of ladybugs though. If I see a ladybug in my house I will be paranoid for hours after. Last year when I was in my basement I saw three dead ones lying on the floor and I got so scared. I didn't go in my basement for months.

[@kot.7717]

I wish I were gay. Everyone I know that is gay is so genuinely happy.

[@JenPrplDream27]

Ants have a HUGE SMELL! omg I hate it if they touch me! 😭

[@kierstengusler8759]

I can smell ladybugs and I also have a fear of ants because my house was infested with them and they were everywhere like I couldn't sleep

[@heather4180]

I can smell ladybugs 🐞, too!

[@chloe_3787]

I think pass lists aren’t as much about the fame and money they have. Celebrities are just a group of people we as a culture generally know of. It’s more of a “never gonna happen but they’re nice to look at” list. Obviously you wouldn’t, like, put Jack from HR or Jen from Payroll on your list.

[@arcejulia78]

I can smell ladybugs too I thought I was making it up 😂

[@aishwarya7422]

Can I be friends with Emily. It would be soooo much fun to just debate various topics with her. She knows the importance of backing her opinion with facts and research.

[@NursePegable]

I can smell ants...but usually not until I squish them.

[@farrahrenfroe7932]

This is the earliest I’ve ever been

[@oliviasolomon4095]

i can smell ants too!!! when they die they secrete an odor that only certain people can smell (it's a genetics thing)

[@mondler107]

Wait I wanna know Emily's pass list now! 🤣 excited to see what you post on your own channel in the future! Congrats!

[@christeezin]

That time Emily Brostaff read Michael Phelps for filth… that was a good time.

[@kristindesrochers174]

facetious = sarcastic

[@lindseybranham7339]

I could care less what you want to be the problem I have is the that she wasn’t born a “female” so she grew up male and then transitioned into female so she has bigger body than a female. Yes if she was born female and had that body naturally then I wouldn’t complain but no woman born a female looks like that’s why woman has ever dominated that sport before. At least that’s my opinion on it and then she needs to prove when she started taking those hormone pills or whatever she taking to clearly show that wasn’t an issue when she was swimming, that’s also a big issue why not just show the exact time and date when you started taking those hormones if that’s in the rules… love you guys not really sure you understand why some people are mad you want to put all of us under the umbrella of not liking her because she was previously male again I do not care but follow rules and policy at least…

[@kot.7717]

Rachael is worth 1/2 a mil as of today. So the internet say. Colleen is 8 mil… so the internet say.

[@kellykocsis1941]

i will def. check out Emily's channel. also the punishment should be a nose piercing or wear a silly crown/hat for the next podcast

[@annikaw3506]

I can smell ants. They smell awful. I’m not scared of ants, but they are disgusting and such a nuisance!

[@kaylaherfi759]

Did Rachel really lose, I thunk Emily should have put a finger down for brokenbeauty13!

[@Ktfancy]

Absolutely love you both. So funny 😂

[@eringudge8029]

Rabbits teeth never stop growing either, I think it is a common rodent-adjacent animal thing.

[@kierst1390]

It’s okay Emily, I’m scared of ladybugs 😂

[@handstand5208]

no because you can smell ants, they are really gross. I usually can only smell it after I squish them

[@jessicae8488]

Omg Emily I have a phobia of ants too I thinks it’s the smell of them because it’s so awful it makes me gag but thanks for saying that now I don’t feel like a weirdo

[@jazzabelleftk]

I love this podcast!

[@kovickc]

Is that an orange in the background? BOOM!

[@vernss3092]

Yes, ant traps have a distinctive odor. It is subtle.

[@leel9808]

WHY IS THE TOP COMMENT NOT ASKIG RACHEL TO GET A SEPTUM PIERCING? Come one people. We need to see this.

[@renee.c.seymour]

i smell ants

[@hg13589]

When it comes to sports and someone being transgender i do kind of agree that it should be fair but i also think it depends on the sport when it comes to swimming i think you could let it slide but when it comes to contact sports where its aggressive and theres a lot of physical contact i think thats a different story like take wrestling for example someone whos biologically male would obvs have the upper hand and could easily win against a woman and that wouldnt be fair anf i could also see people not being comfortable with it naturally yes men are stronger they just are you cant argue that and just cause someones transgender doesnt mean they should get special treatment cause that also isnt fair

[@hg13589]

Or also think about football imagine someone whos ftm on an all guys football team theyd most likely be the smallest player and if they got tackled by a bunch of dudes they could possibly die i think we should all respect trans people but at the same time when it comes to certain things you gotta be realistic and logical

[@ariannam1000]

no girl bc i can smell ladybugs too

[@jillikatescorner9810]

Early i love yall

[@BarbaraBoronda]

phelps is retired from swimming

[@emmiberg4207]

I’ve definitely smelled lady bugs but not so sure about the ants lol

[@CaitW1987]

Yeah all rodent’s (yes that includes cute little bunnies) teeth continuously grow throughout their lives. That’s why they chew on everything to keep them filed down. And if they break it’s not a big deal. They use their teeth for everything. The more you know ⭐️💫. Also love you guys! Long time lover of Rachel and Emily is such a great new addition 🥰

[@Jessicakingxxxx]

I can also smell ants 🤣🤣🤣

[@vickilaughs]

I CAN SMELL LADYBUGS!!! not ants tho

[@Samantha-zi4to]

Loser has to post an all out attempt of the cringiest tiktok trend chosen by the other.

[@Mrs.Katiex0x]

My wife and I have a list. But however they are the same 😂

[@Mrs.Katiex0x]

And I've been with my wife for 9 years and married almost 6. But we have known each other for 23 years

[@Johnathan-sim118]

Hi I really like this podcast I liked it when your mom was on it and now

[@devinnedianne]

ILY BOTH

[@ethibbs7189]

I can smell ladybugs! Not fun.