"You want your 10-year-old daughter exposed to a naked biological male?" - Martina Navratilova rallies against transgender athletes in women's sports
Martina Navratilova carried on her rallying against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports, this time after North Carolina State Representative Maria Cervania's comments on the issue.
Cervania, a Democrat who represents District 41 in the North Carolina House of Representatives, was seen talking about the inclusion of transgender athletes in a recent video that surfaced on social media.
Cervania, referring to the narrative being spun by the media that women's locker rooms were being invaded by biological men, pointed out that for her a locker room was a "place of functionality."
She said that it fosters teamwork between members of a squad and makes them better players:
"I get disheartened by the narrative that is being said. I am not gonna dismiss the insecurity or the events that may have happened to young women or girls.
"But a locker room to me meant a place of functionality. It's where your team got together to share your goals or countries. It's where your coaches made you a better person," Cervania said.
However, her comments did not sit well with the Independent Women's Voice (IWV), an organization dedicated to support the "freedom, choices and opportunites" of women.
Responding on social media, the IWV hit out at Cervania for insinuating that female athletes were "insecure" to share a locker room with biological males and asserted that they only needed privacy and respect instead.
"Hey @mcervania, female athletes aren't "insecure" for not wanting to share a locker room & change in front of biological males.
"They want privacy, respect, & to NOT be exposed to male genitalia without consent. We are disheartened by your lack of regard for safety."
Navratilova, an outspoken voice against the invasion of women's sports by biological men, echoed a similar sentiment, asking Cervania if she would be fine with her ten-year-old daughter being exposed to a naked male in the locker room.
"What the heck? Seriously? You want you 10 year old daughter exposed to a naked biological male? Really?" Navratilova wrote.
"Women’s tennis is not for failed male athletes" - Martina Navratilova
Sticking to the topic of transgender athletes being included in women's sports, Martina Navratilova came out strongly against tennis adopting the same. She said that women's tennis is not a place for failed male players to redeem themselves.
In light of transgender athlete Alicia Rowley winning a women's tennis tournament for seniors, the 18-time Grand Slam champion called on the USTA (United States Tennis Association) to change its policy and protect female athletes from being pushed away from the sport.
"Come on @USTA - women’s tennis is not for failed male athletes- whatever age. This is not right, and it is not fair. Would this be allowed at the US Open this month? Just with self ID? I don’t think so. …" Martina Navratilova said.