"Shame on them" - Martina Navratilova reacts to female athletes being asked to ‘learn to lose gracefully’ to transgender athletes

Martina Navratilova recently expressed her outrage at a recent Title IX hearing, where a witness suggested that female athletes should "learn to lose gracefully" to transgender athletes. Navratilova called the statement "unforgivable" and "shameful".

Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funding. The law has been interpreted to protect the rights of transgender students, including their participation in sports.

The hearing, which was held on December 6, 2023, focused on the impact of Title IX on female athletics and the rights of transgender students.

At the hearing, one of the witnesses who testified was Fatima Goss Graves, the president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, a nonprofit organization that advocates for women’s rights. In her testimony, Goss Graves said that female athletes should "learn to lose gracefully" to transgender athletes who were born male and that success in school sports depends on a range of factors, not just biological sex.

A clip of Goss Graves’ testimony was shared on X( formerly Twitter) by Mara Yamauchi, a former marathon runner and Olympian from Britain.

"Women & girls should ‘learn to lose gracefully’ to men & boys in their category. Women throwing away fair & safe sports for their fellow women is unforgivable," Yamauchi wrote.

The tweet caught Navratilova's attention, who quoted it and added her own opinion.

"Unforgivable indeed. Lose gracefully my a*s! Always did that when it was a fair fight!!! Nothing to be graceful about when the field is tilted so badly!!! Sex matters in sports, it matters. Shame on them," Navratilova wrote.

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Martina Navratilova opens up about using social media to voice her political views

Martina Navratilova at the 2023 WTA Finals

Martina Navratilova recently shed light on her motivations for actively engaging in political discourse on social media.

Beyond her iconic on-court achievements, Navratilova holds the distinction of being one of the first openly lesbian international athletes. Since coming out, she has tirelessly championed both LGBTQ+ rights and women's rights in sports.

One of the most prominent platforms for her activism is the social media site X (formerly Twitter). Navratilova explains that her fervent engagement stems from her deep belief in freedom of speech, a fundamental right she was denied during her childhood under communist rule in her native Czech Republic.

"Well, I left my country because I couldn't speak my mind. That was one of the reasons I wanted to be free to say what I want. And then I get here and then I say what I want, and then I get excoriated for it for different reasons," Martina Navratilova said on the ‘On with Kara Swisher’ podcast.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion also said that she can share her honest views on X without any censorship, unlike many of her interviews, where her remarks are edited.

"Twitter [now X] allows you to speak your mind, without being censored. Because of all the interviews that I've ever done, it was through the lens of that writer. And then they cut out half the stuff that I say. This is a chance to have no filter and no censorship," she added.

Martina Navratilova ended her tennis career with 18 singles titles in Grand Slam tournaments. She also won 31 Majors in women’s doubles and 10 titles in mixed doubles.