"Just sad" - Martina Navratilova bemoans ACLU Deputy Director for Transgender Justice's controversial stance on women's sports

Martina Navratilova has weighed in on American Civil Liberties Union official Chase Strangio's views from 2021 regarding the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports. Strangio posted his support for the participation of transgender athletes in women's categories while Navratilova has been a vocal advocate for the exclusion of trans women from women's sports.

An independent journalist specializing in science reporting, Benjamin Ryan, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a thread of notable "transgender people" who "have asserted that trans women are 'biological women.'"

Among the names was Chase Strangio, whom Ryan described as the "leading litigator for trans rights" at the ACLU, a non-profit civil rights organization. Ryan shared an image of Strangio's posts from 2021. The American lawyer had said:

"Women and girls who are trans participate on women's teams and as such these teams remain women's teams. Sex separation does not end."

Further, Strangio, who is the Deputy Director for Transgender Justice at the ACLU, said:

"Women and girls who are trans are biological women and girls."

Following this post by Ryan, tennis legend Martina Navratilova took note of Strangio's comments and wrote:

"Chase is just sad…"

Navratilova has regularly taken to social media to express her disapproval of including transgender athletes in women's sports. Recently, the American tennis icon defended her stance as she called herself "pro-women."

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Martina Navratilova defends herself against allegations of being "anti-trans"

Martina Navratilova (Image: Getty)

Martina Navratilova was involved in an exchange with a fan, where the 68-year-old called herself "pro-women."

In the English county of Isle of Wight, a 53-year-old transgender woman pleaded guilty to possessing a Samurai sword in public after a street incident in August. Police found her to be intoxicated, wielding the weapon with her trousers around her ankles.

This news was shared by an X account which claimed that Broadfoot was a "man." 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova reposted the X user's comments and added:

"Exactly what I said years ago- all of a sudden we will see a spike in "women's" crime. When it’s males doing them still."

In the comments section of her post, Navratilova was labeled "anti trans" by a fan. In response, the American tennis icon defended her stance by saying.

"You said I was anti trans. I am not anti trans- I am pro women. Pro women sex based spaces. That is not anti anything."

Navratilova has expressed her belief that while identity is important, it should not override biological sex in sports. She argues that sports and female sex-based spaces must remain categorized by biological sex.