Martina Navratilova sends Megan Rapinoe a VERY blunt one-word response after the US soccer star claimed she would welcome a trans player to the USWNT
Tennis icon Martina Navratilova has dismissed Megan Rapinoe’s claims that trans women should be allowed to participate in women’s sports ahead of the soccer star’s fourth and final World Cup appearance later this month.
Earlier this month, Rapinoe, 38, revealed she would have no problem playing with a trans soccer player on the US women’s national team – while admitting she always assumed ex-President Donald Trump was liked her.
As her comments went viral, Navratilova, who won 18 major singles titles in her prime, chimed in with a one-word response that made her feelings clear.
“Yikes,” she tweeted.
The Czech-born American former professional tennis player, 66, is openly gay – like Rapinoe – and has been married to former Russian model Julia Lemigova since 2014 and wants biological women to participate in women’s sports.
Martina Navratilova opposes Megan Rapinoe in debate about trans women in women’s sport
Rapinoe has made it clear that she opposes the law protecting girls and women in sport
In the spring, she even sided with World Athletics in pushing for a policy banning transgender athletes from internationally recognized women’s competitions, calling it a “step in the right direction”.
“Following the announcement of World Athletics, I think the best idea would be to introduce the categories ‘organic women’ and ‘organic girls’ and then an ‘open’ category,” she said in a statement. published in The Times – a British daily newspaper based in London.
However, Rapinoe is on the other side of the much-discussed debate, even signing a letter to the House of Representatives along with 39 professional athletes in April opposing the Girls and Women in Sports Protection Act.
Her main argument is that the bill would bar women and girls from receiving “mental and physical health benefits,” whether they are biological or transgender women.
“It’s especially frustrating when women’s sport is weaponized,” Rapinoe told Time magazine. “Oh, now it’s about justice?” Now we care about women’s sport? This is absolute nonsense. And show me all the trans people who are shamefully taking advantage of being trans in sports.
“It just doesn’t happen.”
Navratilova, who like Rapinoe is an openly gay sports icon, is pictured winning Wimbledon
Rapinoe hopes to be part of the first women’s or men’s team to win three consecutive World Cups
Rapinoe was presented with the President’s Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden on July 22
Two-time world champion Rapinoe also explained the reasons for her stance on accepting a transgender woman as a substitute for a biological woman on the US women’s national team.
“You’re taking the place of a ‘real’ woman, that’s the part of the argument that’s still extremely transphobic.” “I see trans women as real women,” Rapinoe said. “What you’re automatically saying with the argument — you’re already saying it to yourself — is that you don’t believe these people are women.
“That’s why they take the other seat.” I don’t feel like that.’
Rapinoe hopes to reach new athletic heights at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand later this month as she aims to be part of the first women’s or men’s team to win the international competition three times in a row.
In addition, the forward announced her intention to retire at the end of the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League season.
During her illustrious career, Rapinoe has won an Olympic gold medal (London 2012), two world championships and the women’s Ballon d’Or (2019). She also received the President Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden last year.
The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand begins on July 20.
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