LONDON, February 21, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — Having fallen foul of LGBTQ advocates, famed tennis star and openly lesbian Martina Navratilova was officially removed from the advisory board of a major LGBTQ organization because of comments she made about so-called transgenders.
Navratilova released an op-ed in The Sunday Times on Feb. 17 where she wrote that “transgender” athletes should not be allowed to compete against biologically female athletes. She wrote that it is unfair for men to compete as women because of their innate physical advantage over biologically female athletes. Navratilova is widely considered the best female tennis player in history, having won Wimbledon nine times and 18 Grand Slam titles.
Her article, titled “The rules on trans athletes reward cheats and punish the innocent,” started by saying, “Letting men compete as women simply if they change their name and take hormones is unfair — no matter how those athletes may throw their weight around.” This came in response to condemnations from transgender activists, who labeled Navratilova “transphobic.” She wrote in that she tweeted in December 2018, “You can’t just proclaim yourself a female and be able to compete against women,” and added, “There must be some standards, and having a penis and competing as a woman would not fit that standard.”
Martina Navratilova has removed all doubt: she is absolutely transphobic. pic.twitter.com/6EpxHYuW5a
— Dr. Rachel McKinnon (@rachelvmckinnon) February 17, 2019
“To put the argument at its most basic: a man can decide to be female, take hormones if required by whatever sporting organisation is concerned, win everything in sight and perhaps earn a small fortune, and then reverse his decision and go back to making babies if he so desires. It’s insane and it’s cheating. I am happy to address a transgender woman in whatever form she prefers, but I would not be happy to compete against her. It would not be fair,” Navratilova wrote.
The decision by the Athlete Ally organization to remove Navratilova came Tuesday. In a statement, Athlete Ally announced that the famed tennis pro was being removed as ambassador and from its advisory board. The group advised that Navratilova’s comments were “transphobic” and unscientific.
The outspoken Czech-born Navratilova argued on Twitter in December with transgender cyclist Rachel McKinnon, a biological male who won the Masters Track Championship in 2018. On Twitter, McKinnon — who teaches philosophy and ethics at the College of Charleston in South Carolina — wrote that the tennis star “has removed all doubt: she is absolutely transphobic.” McKinnon, who hails from Canada, tweeted, “No, you are not ‘pro-trans people’ if you say that trans women with a penis must not compete in women’s sports. That’s transphobic. Genitals do not play sports. What part of a penis is related to tennis?”
No, you are not “pro- trans people” if you say that trans women with a penis must not compete in women's sport. That's transphobic.
Genitals do not play sports. What part of a penis is related to tennis? How does that 'level' any playing field? https://t.co/h7ZLsCVOQy
— Dr. Rachel McKinnon (@rachelvmckinnon) December 20, 2018
Coming to Navratilova’s defense was homosexual journalist and best-selling author Glenn Greenwald. He tweeted Wednesday that booting Navratilova was “pathetic,” while he said she was “openly and proudly gay” and traveled with a “trans woman as her coach” during the Reagan era. “Punishing her for debating this is shameful,” he added.
This is pathetic. @Martina is one of the greatest LGBT pioneers of the 20th Century. She was openly & proudly gay, traveling with a trans woman as her coach, in the 1980s – the era of Reagan & AIDS – and sacrificed enormously for it. Punishing her for debating this is shameful: https://t.co/zBZIRl7Qck
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 20, 2019