Martina Navratilova's trans views have been explained, following an angry post in defence of a female fencer who was punished for refusing to compete against a transgender woman.
Female fencer Stephanie Turner was handed a black card by the USA Fencing board last weekend, after taking the knee upon refusing to take on trans fencer Redmond Sullivan, at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland.
Footage of the moment has gone truly viral, racking up over four million views.
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It has divided opinion across social media, but one sporting legend furiously spoke out in defence of Turner's protest.
Former tennis champ Martina Navratilova, who is also part of the LGBTQ+ community, had something to say about the decision.
Taking to X, she posted: "This is what happens when female athletes protest!
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"Anyone here still thinks this is fair???
"I am fuming… and shame on @USAFencing, shame on you for doing this. How dare you throw women under the gender bullsh*t bus!!!"
In 2018, Navratilova controversially spoke out on the subject of trans representation in sport, tweeting: "You can’t just proclaim yourself a female and be able to compete against women. There must be some standards, and having a penis and competing as a woman would not fit that standard."
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Her comments led to her being dropped by Athlete Ally, an LGBTQ+ non-profit she co-founded, who said: "Martina Navratilova’s recent comments on trans athletes are transphobic, based on a false understanding of science and data, and perpetuate dangerous myths that lead to the ongoing targeting of trans people through discriminatory laws, hateful stereotypes and disproportionate violence."
Hitting back in a 2022 Guardian interview, Navratilova noted: "I had a transgender coach [Renée Richards] for f**k’s sake. But I am supposed to be transphobic!"
Renée Richards was a successful American tennis player, who garnered recognition for her gender reassignment surgery, and was subsequently barred from competing in the women's event at the US Open in 1976 after refusing to complete a chromosome test.
She successfully sued the Women's Tennis Association for discrimination, and went on to compete on the women's circuit.
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In an interview with Fox News, Turner explained what happened during the controversial moment.
She said: "When I took the knee, I looked at the ref and I said, 'I’m sorry, I cannot do this. I am a woman, and this is a man, and this is a women’s tournament. And I will not fence this individual'."
She added: "Redmond says to me, 'Well you know, there is a member on the board of directors here who supports me, and there is a policy that acknowledges me as a woman, so I am allowed to fence, and you will get black-carded', and I said, 'I know'."
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Such was subsequently the case, after being escorted away from the venue.
In their defence following the controversy, USA Fencing told FOX News in an official statement: "USA Fencing enacted our current transgender and non-binary athlete policy in 2023.
"The policy was designed to expand access to the sport of fencing and create inclusive, safe spaces. The policy is based on the principle that everyone should have the ability to participate in sports and was based upon the research available of the day."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]
Topics: Sport, News, Social Media
Mia Williams