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Megan Rapinoe and Martina Navratilova Spar Over Trans Women in Sports

When out soccer star Megan Rapinoe revealed she would have no problem competing with a trans woman on the U.S. womenโ€™s national team, tennis great Martina Navratilova had a one-word response.

โ€œItโ€™s particularly frustrating when womenโ€™s sports is weaponized,โ€ Rapinoe told Time on Monday, ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. โ€œOh, now we care about fairness? Now we care about womenโ€™s sports? Thatโ€™s total b*llsh*t. And show me all the trans people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports. Itโ€™s just not happening,โ€

Rapinoe told the magazine that Navratilova, ESPN anchor Sage Steele, and comedian Dave Chappelle were partly to blame for the rise in transphobia in the U.S.

โ€œDave Chappelle making jokes about trans people directly leads to violence, whether itโ€™s verbal or otherwise, against trans people,โ€ Rapinoe told Time. โ€œWhen Martina or Sage or whoever are talking about this, people arenโ€™t hearing it just in the context of elite sports. Theyโ€™re saying, โ€˜The rest of my life, this is how Iโ€™m going to treat trans people.โ€™โ€

Navratilova wrote one word in response.

โ€œYikes,โ€ Navratilova posted to social media with a CNN article about Rapinoeโ€™s comments.

The queer Czech-born American tennis icon known simply as Martina won 18 Grand Slam titles over her illustrious career. An out lesbian, she has been a defender of lesbian and gay rights but strenuously objects to trans women and girls competing in sports for women and girls.

Navratilova recently praised a decision by World Athletics banning trans women from competing as women in international track and field competitions but said in a recent opinion piece the decision didnโ€™t go far enough.

โ€œIn the wake of World Athleticsโ€™ announcement, I think the best idea would be to have โ€˜biological femaleโ€™ and โ€˜biological girlsโ€™ categories and then an โ€˜openโ€™ category,โ€ Navratilova wrote in the Times of London, advancing her belief that trans women are taking the sport of biological women in these sporting events. โ€œIt would be a category for all-comers: men who identify as men; women who identify as women; women who identify as men; men who identify as women; non-binary โ€“ it would be a catch-all. This is already being explored in athletics and swimming in Britain.โ€When out soccer star Megan Rapinoe revealed she would have no problem competing with a trans woman on the U.S. womenโ€™s national team, tennis great Martina Navratilova had a one-word response.

โ€œItโ€™s particularly frustrating when womenโ€™s sports is weaponized,โ€ Rapinoe told Time on Monday, ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. โ€œOh, now we care about fairness? Now we care about womenโ€™s sports? Thatโ€™s total b*llsh*t. And show me all the trans people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports. Itโ€™s just not happening,โ€

Rapinoe told the magazine that Navratilova, ESPN anchor Sage Steele, and comedian Dave Chappelle were partly to blame for the rise in transphobia in the U.S.

โ€œDave Chappelle making jokes about trans people directly leads to violence, whether itโ€™s verbal or otherwise, against trans people,โ€ Rapinoe told Time. โ€œWhen Martina or Sage or whoever are talking about this, people arenโ€™t hearing it just in the context of elite sports. Theyโ€™re saying, โ€˜The rest of my life, this is how Iโ€™m going to treat trans people.โ€™โ€

Navratilova wrote one word in response.

โ€œYikes,โ€ Navratilova posted to social media with a CNN article about Rapinoeโ€™s comments.

The queer Czech-born American tennis icon known simply as Martina won 18 Grand Slam titles over her illustrious career. An out lesbian, she has been a defender of lesbian and gay rights but strenuously objects to trans women and girls competing in sports for women and girls.

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Navratilova recently praised a decision by World Athletics banning trans women from competing as women in international track and field competitions but said in a recent opinion piece the decision didnโ€™t go far enough.

โ€œIn the wake of World Athleticsโ€™ announcement, I think the best idea would be to have โ€˜biological femaleโ€™ and โ€˜biological girlsโ€™ categories and then an โ€˜openโ€™ category,โ€ Navratilova wrote in the Times of London, advancing her belief that trans women are taking the sport of biological women in these sporting events. โ€œIt would be a category for all-comers: men who identify as men; women who identify as women; women who identify as men; men who identify as women; non-binary โ€“ it would be a catch-all. This is already being explored in athletics and swimming in Britain.โ€

Rapinoe rejected Navratilovaโ€™s arguments.

โ€œYouโ€™re taking a โ€˜realโ€™ womanโ€™s place, thatโ€™s the part of the argument thatโ€™s still extremely transphobic,โ€ Rapinoe told Time. โ€œI see trans women as real women. What youโ€™re saying automatically in the argument โ€“ youโ€™re sort of telling on yourself already โ€“ is you donโ€™t believe these people are women. Therefore, theyโ€™re โ€˜taking the other spot.โ€™ I donโ€™t feel that way.โ€Rapinoe announced in a press conference last week that she plans to retire at the end of the 2023 season. She has been a fixture on the U.S. womenโ€™s soccer team since she joined it in 2006.

โ€œI could have just never imagined where this beautiful game would have taken me,โ€ Rapinoe told The New York Times. โ€œI feel so honored to have represented this country, this federation for so many years.โ€

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