Tennis legend Martina Navratilova told Megan Rapinoe to pound sand over transgender participation in women’s sports as the retiring soccer star trashed Martina for opposing the idea ahead of her final World Cup later this month.
“I don’t want to mince words about it,” Rapinoe said. “Dave Chappelle making jokes about trans people directly leads to violence, whether it’s verbal or otherwise, against trans people.
“When Martina or Sage or whoever are talking about this, people aren’t hearing it just in the context of elite sports. They’re saying, ‘The rest of my life, this is how I’m going to treat trans people.’”
Rapinoe, who is retiring so this does not affect her losing her place on the team, said she would “absolutely” accept a transgender woman on the U.S. women’s national team.
“‘You’re taking a “real” woman’s place,’ that’s the part of the argument that’s still extremely transphobic. I see trans women as real women,” she said.
“What you’re saying automatically in the argument—you’re sort of telling on yourself already—is you don’t believe these people are women.
“Therefore, they’re taking the other spot. I don’t feel that way.”
“It’s particularly frustrating when women’s sports is weaponized,” Rapinoe said.
“Oh, now we care about fairness?
“Now we care about women’s sports?
“That’s total bulls—.
“And show me all the trans people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports. It’s just not happening.”
Navratilova is an activist for the gay community but is an opponent of transgender women competing against biological women in sports.
“Yikes…” she wrote. “Hmmm. Really Megan?”
A Twitter user said: “Interesting how these women at the end of their career or have retired kick the ladder from under younger female athletes to appear progressive. They are a disgrace.”
Martina said: “I really don’t get it.”
In March, Martina applauded World Athletics for adopting a policy to exclude transgender female athletes from women’s competitions.
“In the wake of World Athletics’ announcement, I think the best idea would be to have ‘biological female’ and ‘biological girls’ categories and then an ‘open’ category,” she said.
Hmmm . Really Megan? https://t.co/DxzQGvkPd8
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) July 11, 2023
