Martina Navratilova hits out at Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for comments on transgender inclusion in women's sports

Martina Navratilova recently spoke out on the hot-button issue of transgender athletes competing in women's sports, and her remarks were a pointed response to statements made by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Navratilova criticized AOC's claims about the potential implications of barring biological men from female sports.

Navratilova's tweet, addressing AOC's remarks, stated:

"AOC claims 'all' underage women will face 'genital examinations' if biological men barred from female sports - I wish ⁦@AOC would educate herself a bit more before making these ridiculous assertions - this is complete rubbish and out and out lie."

AOC asserted that barring transgender women from women's sports could lead to invasive examinations for underage girls. She mentioned:

"We are talking about opening up all women and girls to genital examinations when they are underaged, potentially just because someone can point to someone and say, I don’t think you are a girl."

AOC further expressed concerns about the broader implications in post-Dobbs America, where states are increasingly restricting access to abortion and seeking data on women's menstrual cycles. She raised doubts about the sense and ethics of such ideas, particularly given their potential impact on privacy and the biological effects on all women, whether they're trans or cisgender.

Martina Navratilova has spoken openly about ensuring fairness for women in sports. She has expressed her viewpoint that the issue is not about trans rights on a civil level, which she fully supports, but about ensuring fair competition in women's sports.

Navratilova believes that biologically male athletes, even those who identify as women, have physical advantages that can be unfair in women's competitions. She stated during a recent episode of the On with Kara Swisher podcast:

"It has been proven even when you do take those testosterone blockers or hormone therapy, even after 15 years, male bodies still retain physical advantage over women athletes."

Navratilova’s stance is focused on maintaining a level playing field for women athletes.

Martina Navratilova reveals financial impact of coming out during her tennis career

Martina Navratilova at WTA Finals 2023

Martina Navratilova faced significant financial consequences after coming out in 1981. Renowned for her exceptional tennis career with a whopping 59 titles under her belt, including 18 in major singles alone, Navratilova opened up about her journey on Kara Swisher's podcast. She shared that her public acknowledgment of being bisexual dented her appeal, particularly in the U.S., causing a notable dip in sponsorship deals.

Martina Navratilova's decision to publicly disclose her bisexuality came shortly after she became a US citizen. At that point, society showed a stark bias against the LGBTQ+ community, often sidelining them due to prejudice. She noted that while she did not receive outright rejections from sponsors, there was a noticeable reluctance to engage with her.

"Nobody said no, but nobody said yes either. I can't say how much money I lost by being out, but it's in millions, there's no doubt about that," she explained while speaking on the podcast.

While Martina Navratilova did receive some sponsorship deals in Japan, she found a stark contrast in the United States, where her name would cause a room to go silent, as described by her agent.

"I got deals in Japan, but not in America. You didn't see any commercials. And my agent back then said, 'You know, when I'm in a meeting in Madison Avenue, there's always advertisers; you throw in different names, the people get excited….. When I throw in your name, the room goes silent.'"

Furthermore, Navratilova worried that coming out would negatively impact women's tennis sponsorship. This fear was not unfounded, as Avon, a sponsor at the time, eventually pulled out from tennis following her public revelation.