Last night, Martina Navratilova described a video of US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaking to drag queen Pattie Gonia at New York’s Stonewall memorial as a “joke” and a “pathetic parody of women”.
The tennis legend, long seen as a symbol of gay and lesbian rights, responded to the video posted by the Home Secretary’s official social media account for LGBT History Month.
In it, Haaland can be seen asking the drag queen, who is wearing a park ranger shirt, miniskirt and knee-high boots, about the meaning of the Stonewall Monument.
“I think it’s because queer rights are under attack more than ever,” Gonia said.
“In a place like Stonewall, this beautiful place, it’s a place where so much discrimination and hatred against the queer community took place, but it’s also a place where resistance, queer joy and queer liberation took place.”
“I think that’s worth celebrating and remembering.” That’s why I think we can’t ignore hate as it exists today. We must acknowledge it because it is not only our past but also our present.”
But Navratilova replied: “Is this a joke?” The pathetic women’s parody continues.”
Martina Navratilova criticized US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s publicity stunt with drag queen Pattie Gonia last night
US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland shared a video with drag queen Pattie Gonia at New York’s Stonewall memorial
The tennis legend, long seen as a symbol of gay and lesbian rights, responded to the video posted by the Home Secretary’s official social media account for LGBT History Month
One Twitter user responded to Navratilova’s comment: “Butch lesbians have always faced the same ridicule.” “Not really a woman.” We should all hug each other.
But she quickly replied, “And how exactly are we supposed to tell the difference?” And please don’t compare males to butch females. Thank you very much.’
Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and is one of the most successful women’s tennis players, was one of the first prominent athletes to openly embrace her sexual orientation, having been openly lesbian since the early 1980s.
She has long been an advocate for gay and lesbian rights, but in recent years has criticized the rise of biological men entering women’s sports as trans women.
In August, she criticized the United States Tennis Association (USTA) over its stance against transgender athletes competing in women’s tennis tournaments.
It happened when transgender tennis player Alicia Rowley won a women’s national tennis championship and the “coveted Golden Ball.”
The Independent Council for Women’s Sport (ICONS) posted the news on TwitterIt said Rowley recently won the women’s over-55 national turf championship and the national indoor singles and doubles championships.
The USTA states in its transgender inclusion policy that transgender athletes should be included and not excluded from playing the sport.
In response, 18-time Grand Slam champion Navratilova wrote: “Come on @USTA – women’s tennis is not for failed male athletes – no matter what age.”
“It’s not right and it’s not fair.” Would this be allowed at the US Open this month? Only with self-ID? I don’t believe…’
Martina Navratilova after winning the women’s singles final at the 1986 Wimbledon Tennis Championship
This comes after transgender tennis player Alicia Rowley became the youngest women’s national tennis champion
And Navratliova responded to the ICONS co-founder on Twitter, saying: “That’s not right and it’s not fair.”
This is not the first time that Navratilova has published her views on transgender athletes competing in female sports categories.
In March, she said World Athletics’ decision to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s categories was “a step in the right direction,” before calling for an “open category to all competitors.”
In December 2022, she also responded to a tweet from fellow tennis legend Billie Jean King, who had expressed her support for trans athletes.
Jean King had written, “The federal appeals court just upheld Connecticut’s trans-inclusive athletics policy.” She added, “Trans youth deserve to play and thrive.”
“I couldn’t disagree more, inclusion at the expense of exclusion is not inclusion,” Navratilova replied.
“No one is banning transgender people from competing – they just have to compete in the biological category and not the self-identification category.”
“Either there are three categories on one day or two categories: one open to everyone and one only for biological women.” But they are allowed to compete now.”