"Identity does not apply"-Martina Navratilova continues to protest inclusion of trans athletes in female sports; says there are biological differences

Martina Navratilova reiterated her long-held stance on the inclusion of transgender athletes in female sports. She said that while identity is important in everyday life, sports should be based on biological sex, as male and female bodies are different.

In episode 276 of the podcast "The Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt," Navratilova explained her stance and spoke about the need to protect female spaces in sports.

Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion and one of the first high-profile athletes to come out as gay, has consistently opposed the inclusion of transgender athletes in female sports. In her appearance on the podcast this past week, Navratilova said,

"Identity is one thing, but identity does not apply to sports. Sex category applies to sports. Male bodies are different from female bodies" (52:25).

"And, yes, I mean, I came out in '81, when it was definitely not the thing to do. You know, I've been out way before any kind of LGB community was organized... LGBT community, and now people say I turned Right. I did not,"

She also said she has a left-leaning stance without endorsing socialism or communism. She added that when it comes to sports, she believes there is a reason for having categories and rules.

The 67-year-old said male bodies have inherent physical advantages over female bodies. She also said these differences cannot be mitigated, regardless of gender identity.

Navratilova added,

"When it comes to female sex-based spaces, which includes sports, then I think we need to put a line there and say 'We just really need this space to be female.' And that's the end."

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"Including males means excluding females" - When Martina Navratilova gave her take following Italian trans sprinter Valentina Petrillo's Paralympics debut

Martina Navratilova (Image: Getty)

Valentina Petrillo started her gender transition in 2019 and has been competing in women's sports since 2020. She won the bronze medal in the 200m sprint in the T-12 category at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships.

A few weeks ago, Petrillo made her Paralympics debut at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Martina Navratilova shared her reaction to the news on X (formerly Twitter). She wrote,

"Including males in the women’s category means excluding females. It’s that simple."

Petrillo qualified for the semi-finals of the T12 women's 400 meters but did not advance to the final. She also competed in the T12 women's 200 meters but again did not reach the final.