"No such thing as a trans lesbian" – Martina Navratilova criticizes UN's International Lesbian Day celebrations over lesbian identity
Martina Navratilova expressed her views this week on the United Nations' International Lesbian Day celebrations, which highlighted the diversity within the lesbian community. The American tennis icon, who has publicly spoken about being lesbian, shared her belief that there are no "male lesbians" or "trans lesbians."
On October 8, the UN commemorated International Lesbian Day with a post on the official X (formerly Twitter) account "UN Free & Equal." The post consisted of several images with captions such as "There's no one way to be a lesbian" and another that said, "Trans lesbians are lesbians."
Following this, the 18-time Grand Slam champion Navratilova replied to the post with her take. She wrote,
"No such thing as a male lesbian. It is physiologically impossible."
Navratilova further elaborated on her perspective,
"I wonder how your ratio is going ? No such thing as a trans lesbian. Lesbian literally means a female who is same sex(female) attracted. It’s really pretty simple."
Navratilova came out as a lesbian after becoming a U.S. citizen in 1981. In a groundbreaking move in that era, she revealed her sexuality in a New York Daily News story, making her one of the first high-profile athletes to do so.
She faced significant challenges during her career, including public scrutiny and the pressure of being in the spotlight as a gay athlete.
Over the years, Navratilova has been open about her experiences and the complexities of being a public figure in the LGBTQ+ community. In 2014, she married Julia Lemigova, a Russian former model. The couple, who earlier this year adopted two sons, continues to be prominent advocates for LGBTQ+ rights.
"I've always been political just by being a lesbian" - When Martina Navratilova opened up about spotlight on her
In a 2023 episode of the "On with Kara Swisher" podcast, Martina Navratilova discussed how the media focused on her personal life compared to her illustrious tennis career. Martina Navratilova said.
"You know, I've always been political just by being a lesbian. That's a political statement too, apparently, and coming from a communist country. So, I never had a chance one way or the other on Madison Avenue. And that's okay."
Navratilova shared that she secured a sponsorship deal with Olivia Cruises, a brand that focuses on the lesbian community, back in the early 2000s. However, she noted that this was more of an exception rather than a trend, as her sexual orientation had neither significantly benefited nor hindered her career overall.