Martina Navratilova responds to backlash for opposing trans women in sports
Martina Navratilova has made it clear that she will not be silenced by her critics.
Martina Navratilova has insisted that she is not affected by the backlash she has received for opposing trans participation in women's sport. The nine-time Wimbledon champion, who is gay, has been vocal in her belief that only biological women should be allowed to compete in women's categories.
Navratilova frequently weighs in on politics and current events on X, formerly Twitter, usually representing a liberal point of view. However, she has stood firm in her belief that sport should be segregated by biological sex, with her views drawing criticism and support in equal measure.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Wimbledon, Navratilova doubled down on her stance and made it clear that she would not be silenced by her critics.
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Quizzed on the backlash she has received, the 67-year-old said: "Backlash? Where have you been? I've been jettisoned by a lot of the groups in the LGBT community. But, you know, I've been speaking my mind for a long time. I'm not going to change that.
"Yes, it's been pretty rough, but I know I'm on the right side of history. I'm right on most people's opinion about women's sex-based spaces, and especially sports. They need to stay female but the politics have been kind of crazy about that.
"It's become very political when it shouldn't be when it comes to women's rights. We seem to put trans rights ahead of women's rights, particularly for males that identify as women. Women are asked to be kind and be inclusive, yet by including transgender-identified males in women's sports, you're excluding women.
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"Anyway, it's a long story. I won't go into too many details. Yeah, it's been pretty rough in the LGBT community, but at the same time, I went to a drag queen show in Miami a couple months ago. I was wondering how it would be.
"Everybody just couldn't have been nicer, including the drag queens, including everybody else there. I felt very loved by the community as a whole, but you wouldn't think that when you hear from some of those spokespeople at these groups. I'm good where I am and I'll keep fighting the fight."
Navratilova was speaking on the eve of Wimbledon in a press conference with former rival Chris Evert. The two tennis greats, who said they became close friends after getting cancer at the same time, are working on a new documentary together.
"Cancer brought us much closer together, which is kind of ironic that something like that would be kind of a blessing in a way," added Navratilova.
