"Really gone sideways when it comes to sports and trans women" - Martina Navratilova hits out at ACLU
Martina Navratilova took to social media to once again lash out at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for its stance on transgender people competing in sports. The ACLU is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 to "defend and preserve" the individual rights and liberties of American citizens.
On Sunday, the 65-year-old tweeted her surprise at being blocked on Twitter by Gillian Branstetter, a woman who works in Comms Strategy for the ACLU, according to her bio.
"Why would I be blocked by this woman? I have no clue...." she tweeted.
Why would I be blocked by this woman? I have no clue… https://t.co/qXkXT6hErk
In a subsequent conversation thread, she said that the ACLU has "gone sideways" in its eagerness to allow transgender people to compete in sports without batting an eyelid. She further stated that the person responsible for this was Chase Strangio, a lawyer and transgender rights activist who also serves as the Deputy Director for Transgender Justice and a staff attorney with ACLU.
"Well, the ACLU, thanks mainly to Chase Strangio, has really gone sideways when it comes to sports and trans women competing- they will only accept full inclusion for trans women to compete, no mitigation, only self ID necessary. How crazy is that? Yup, this crazy," she said.
@AudreySuffolk @salltweets Well, the @ACLU, thanks mainly to Chase Strangio, has really gone sideways when it comes to sports and trans women competing- they will only accept full inclusion for trans women to compete, no mitigation, only self ID necessary. How crazy is that? Yup, this crazy.
Martina Navratilova hits back at accusations of bigotry and hate for transgender people
Martina Navratilova has been very vocal with her thoughts on transgender people and their free inclusion in professional sports, so much so that a fan recently told the former World No. 1 that he was not a fan of her "anti-trans side" and that her beliefs were an indication of her bigotry.
"Not digging this anti-trans side of you Martina. We’ve battled for gay and lesbian rights for decades and now to have some in the lesbian community show bigotry and hate toward trans folks? Totally not cool. Bigotry is bigotry and it’s NEVER ok," a user tweeted.
@triggerpod @Martina @andrewdoyle_com @francisjfoster @KonstantinKisin Not digging this anti-trans side of you @Martina .
We’ve battled for gay and lesbian rights for decades and now to have some in the lesbian community show bigotry and hate toward trans folks?
Totally not cool.
Bigotry is bigotry and it’s NEVER ok.
Enraged, the 18-time Grand Slam champion responded by asking the user to "check" his male privilege and that he shouldn't equate other issues to her sexuality.
"Not cool to be asking for the right of women to have our own spaces? That would be bigotry? What is not cool is not having those spaces… check your male privilege, please," she replied.
"So let me ask you- you think it is wrong that biological women who are in a rape survivor group insist on having only biological females in the group, including the actual counselor? Or are they wrong to exclude trans women from that particular group?" she added.
@bgilman66 @triggerpod @andrewdoyle_com @francisjfoster @KonstantinKisin So let me ask you- you think it is wrong that biological women who are in a rape survivor group insist on having only biological females in the group, including the actual counselor? Or are they wrong to exclude trans women from that particular group?
She also took to Twitter recently to criticize American magazine and multi-platform publisher The Atlantic for their article on gender separation in sports.
The publication's Maggie Martens wrote an article titled 'Separating Sports by Sex doesn't make sense,' in which the author discussed how creating different categories for boys and girls in sports is now an old idea.
"It’s also so so wrong… I expected better journalism from the Atlantic," Martina Navratilova said, about the article.
@jessesingal It’s also so so wrong… I expected better journalism from the Atlantic…🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️