Martina Navratilova applauds UK Sports Councils' legal briefing upholding female-only sports competitions

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has publicly celebrated the UK Sports Councils' 2021 legal briefing confirming the lawfulness of female-only sports competitions. The Guidance by Harper Macleod LLP for the UK Home Nations Sports Councils reinforces the stance that such competitions are permitted under UK law to ensure fairness and safety for female athletes.

According to the briefing, the Equality Act 2010 allows for sex-based and gender-reassignment-based discrimination in competitive sports when necessary to ensure fair and safe competition. This means male athletes can be lawfully excluded from female-only sports categories based on average physiological differences between sexes to maintain competitive fairness and safety.

Navratilova, known for advocating fairness and integrity in women’s sports, took to her X account (formerly Twitter) to reshare the document, accompanied by 'clapping' emojis:

"👏👏👏"

Historically, policies that permitted trans-identifying males to compete in women’s sports following testosterone suppression have been challenged as unsupported by scientific evidence. As a result, updated guidance in 2021 emphasized the need to prioritize fairness and safety. Yet, many organizations, influenced by trans advocacy groups, have continued to implement policies based on gender self-identification rather than strict sex-based rules.

The Sports Councils Equality Group's briefing for the UK's governing bodies stresses the importance of adhering to eligibility requirements that consider average physiological differences between sexes, not individual assessments, according to sex-matters.org.

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Martina Navratilova defends herself against ‘TERF’ accusation over women’s rights stance

Martina Navratilova (Image source: Getty)

Martina Navratilova has stood by her position on excluding transgender individuals from women's sports after being labeled a 'Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist'. She responded to a user on X who pointed out that less than 2% of the US population identifies as trans or nonbinary:

"How many trans-identified males winning against biological girls and women would be too many for you?"

The X user further criticized her stance and called her a 'TERF', to which Navratilova asserted that her advocacy is aimed at protecting women's interests.

"So...today I learned that a woman I used to admire is a TERF. Imagine voting for the downfall of the United States b/c you're afraid of trans women in sports when trans folks are such a teeny % of our population," the user wrote.

"Really? Call me what you want- I will keep fighting for women and girls for our own sex based spaces . I am a female inclusionary feminist. This is not about trans anything. This is about the right to privacy, safety and fairness. For females," Martina Navratilova replied.

In a recent episode of the podcast "The Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt", Navratilova reiterated her views on transgender athletes in women's sports. The Czech-American tennis legend emphasized that while personal identity is significant in everyday life, sports should be based on biological sex due to the inherent differences between male and female bodies.