Newman says critics of his transgender stance have agendas of their own

Sam Newman has addressed backlash following a controversial video posted online to promote his podcast where he was dressed as a transgender person.

Speaking on 3AW, Newman, 73, said his intentions had been overlooked by those with agendas.

“I was dressed up as an older woman to make a very clear point, which no one bothered to understand because they have agendas,” he said.

“I am adamant that if you transgender from a male into a female, don’t hijack women’s sport, don’t hijack real women’s sport.”

Newman said he dressed as he did to promote his podcast and try and pretend he was going to transgender into being an older female so he could compete in women’s senior events to “prove the point of how stupid it is.”

The former Geelong star used the example of Canadian cyclist Rachel McKinnon winning the 2018 UCI Masters track championships to illustrate his point.

He said it was clear McKinnon had an “absolute advantage” over her competitors.

“She won the world cycling championship and she’s a transgender person and you’ve got two real women standing next to her who came second and third,” he said.

“There’s plenty of evidence to say that if you are born a male then you are intrinsically more powerful and capable than performing in a sporting contest than a woman.

“I think it is ridiculous that transgender men going into women’s sport can hijack the sport and make a mockery of it.”

The former Footy Show personality said he doesn’t care what “anyone is.”

“I don’t care if half the men in the world want to be women, I don’t care if men marry men, I don’t care if women marry women, I don’t care if you marry your dog, I don’t care if you want to pretend you’re a monkey, but if you pretend you’re a monkey don’t enter the monkey Olympics,” Newman said.