Martina Navratilova backs Trump's ban on transgender athletes in women's sports, calls for cheek swab to prove sex
Martina Navratilova
, the celebrated nine-time
Wimbledon
champion and one of the first openly lesbian athletes in professional sports has publicly expressed support for
Donald Trump
's executive order banning
transgender athletes
from competing in women's sports. Despite her strong political disagreements with Trump, the 68-year-old tennis icon believes the policy is 'obviously not fair,' referring to transgender women competing against
biological females
.
"I disagree with Trump on everything but this issue," Navratilova told The Daily T, acknowledging the backlash she has faced for her position. "For that, I am called a Nazi, homophobe, bigot," she added, emphasizing the personal attacks she's endured.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Pierce Brosnan's Wife Lost 120 Pounds - This Is Her Now
5minstory.com
Undo
Navratilova, who has long been an outspoken critic of transgender athletes in women's sports, called these athletes "failed male athletes" and voiced concerns over fairness. In February, Trump signed an executive order titled 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports,' which has far-reaching implications, including potential changes in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The order mandates that the Department of Homeland Security reject visa applications from men attempting to enter the U.S. while identifying as women athletes.
UK Supreme Court Ruling Adds Fuel to the Debate
The ongoing debate was further ignited by a landmark ruling from the UK Supreme Court. Last week, the court upheld that the definition of "woman" is based on biological sex, creating a clear legal distinction between men and women in relation to sports and other gender-segregated spaces. This judgment, which defined sex as binary , either a man or a woman, has caused a stir, with both support and protests erupting across the UK.
Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, explained that the ruling would prevent transgender women with a gender recognition certificate from competing in women's sports if deemed "proportionate." This aligns with the stance taken by many, including Navratilova, who insists that allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports undermines fairness.
A Call for Clear Policies in Tennis
In her critique of tennis organizations, Navratilova expressed frustration with the inconsistent policies on transgender athletes. She highlighted Wimbledon, the Lawn Tennis Association, and other governing bodies in tennis for not adopting a clear, consistent approach. "Just say female only, and you take a simple cheek swab test to prove you're female and you're done for the rest of your life," she suggested.
Her calls for clearer rules are echoed by other figures within the sport, including Sue Barker, former tennis champion and BBC Wimbledon presenter. Barker has publicly supported Navratilova's position, stating, "I just think you take away the young girls' dreams, so I am definitely with Navratilova."
Navratilova's Continued Support for the Ban
Despite facing backlash from the LGBTQ+ community, Navratilova remains firm in her belief that transgender women should not compete against biological females in sports. She views Trump's ban as a necessary step toward fairness in competition. "There should be no males in women's sports, period, pun kind of intended," she said, reinforcing her stance on the issue.
Get the latest
IPL 2025
updates on
Times of India
, including
match schedules
,
team squads
,
points table
and
IPL live score
for
CSK
,
MI
,
RCB
,
KKR
,
SRH
,
LSG
,
DC
,
GT
,
PBKS
, and
RR
. Don't miss the list of players in the race for
IPL Orange Cap
and
IPL Purple cap
.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Got to do a better job': Donald Trump claims he dialled Gavin Newsom over LA unrest; governor says 'didn't even get a voicemail'
Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump (File photo) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reignited tensions with California Governor Gavin Newsom, claiming he had personally called the governor to criticise his handling of the state. "A day ago. Called him up to tell him, got to do a better job, he's doing a bad job. Causing a lot of death and potential death," Trump told reporters when asked, 'When is the last time you spoke with Governor Newsom?' — Acyn (@Acyn) Newsom, however, flatly denied the exchange ever happened. 'There was no call. Not even a voicemail,' he said, adding, 'Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn't even know who he's talking to.' The remarks come as Newsom filed an emergency motion in federal court Tuesday to block National Guard members and Marines from participating in immigration raids in Los Angeles. 'Trump is turning the US military against American citizens,' the governor wrote on X. While Trump initially deployed the Guard to protect federal buildings, California officials were recently informed that the Pentagon would expand their role to supporting immigration enforcement. This includes securing perimeters during ICE operations. On Tuesday, ICE posted photos on X showing National Guard troops present as officials detained two men. Commentator Pete Hegseth reshared the images with the caption, 'This We'll Defend.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Eat 1 Teaspoon Every Night, See What Happens A Week Later [Video] getfittoday Undo Newsom's filing argues the troop deployment will escalate tensions and provoke unrest. A federal judge is set to hear the case Thursday. Administration lawyers pushed back, calling the governor's request a 'dangerous' move that could disrupt federal authority. Meanwhile, arrests were made Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles as protests entered their fifth day. Speaking at Fort Bragg, Trump referred to Los Angeles as a 'trash heap,' vowing to 'liberate' the city from criminal elements. 'We will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean, and safe again,' he said. Trump's portrayal of the city clashed with its affluent reality , where the average home costs nearly $1 million, according to Zillow — but aligned with his ongoing effort to frame Democratic-led cities as plagued by lawlessness.
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
US court pauses ruling allowing Venezuelans to challenge deportations to El Salvador
-A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday temporarily paused a judge's ruling holding that hundreds of Venezuelans the Trump administration deported to El Salvador under an 18th century wartime law must be given the chance to challenge their detentions. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an administrative stay to give itself more time to consider an appeal filed by the government earlier on Tuesday. Washington-based U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on June 4 also ruled that the Trump administration must facilitate their legal challenges, though he stopped short of expressly ordering the government to bring the Venezuelan migrants currently being held at a mega-prison in El Salvador back to the U.S. Boasberg, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, gave the government one week to detail how it would facilitate the deportees' challenges, known as habeas corpus petitions. The Venezuelans were deported in March after President Donald Trump, a Republican, invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without going through normal immigration procedures. The appellate court panel that paused Boasberg's ruling included U.S. Circuit Judges Gregory Katsas, Neomi Rao and Justin Walker, all of whom were appointed to the court by Trump during his first term in office. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the Venezuelans in the case, did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Mint
28 minutes ago
- Mint
‘Will liberate Los Angeles,' Trump defends troop deployment amid protests; says city has become ‘trash heap'
During a tribute to soldiers on Tuesday, President Donald Trump defended his decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles amid tensions over his immigration policy saying, 'LA has gone from being one of the cleanest, safest and most beautiful cities on earth, to being a trash heap' 'Within the span of a few decades, Los Angeles has gone from being one of the cleanest, safest and most beautiful cities on earth, to being a trash heap with entire neighbourhoods under the control of transnational gangs and criminal the entire world can now see, uncontrolled migration leads to chaos, dysfunction, and disorder.' "What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and on national sovereignty, carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags." 'Very simply, we will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean, and safe again,' he goes on to add. Trump's visit to Fort Bragg, home to some 50,000 active-duty soldiers, followed his move to deploy 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in an escalating response to street protests over his immigration policies. The Republican president said the military deployment was needed to protect federal property and personnel. California's Democratic-led government has sued to block Trump's move, calling it an abuse of power and an unnecessary provocation. Street demonstrations have been underway since Friday, when activists clashed with sheriff's deputies. Los Angeles officials have said the unrest has been limited to a few downtown blocks and that the majority of demonstrators are protesting peacefully in support of immigrants. In North Carolina, Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took part in long-scheduled commemorations of the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, watching soldiers demonstrate a special forces assault and use a long-range missile launcher. It was the first in a series of celebrations of the Army anniversary involving Trump, ahead of a major parade in Washington on Saturday. Speaking to reporters earlier on Tuesday in the Oval Office, Trump warned against demonstrators at that parade, saying "they're going to be met with very big force." He made no distinction between peaceful and violent protesters. The FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department have said there are no credible threats to the event.
