Martina Navratilova slams the ‘pathetic parody of women’ after Interior Secretary Deb Haaland posts video with drag queen Pattie Gonia
- The tennis legend has long been seen as a symbol for gay and lesbian rights
- But she is against acceptance of trans women as women, particularly in sport
Martina Navratilova last night slammed a video of US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaking with drag queen Pattie Gonia at New York City’s Stonewall monument as ‘a joke’ and a ‘pathetic parody of women’.
The tennis legend, who has long been seen as a symbol for gay and lesbian rights, hit out in response to the video posted by the Interior Secretary’s official social media account for LGBT History Month.
In it, Haaland is seen asking the drag queen, who is sporting a park ranger’s shirt, miniskirt and knee-high boots, about the importance of the Stonewall Monument.
‘I think it’s because queer rights are more under attack than ever,’ Gonia said.
‘At a place like Stonewall, this beautiful place, it’s a place where so much discrimination and hatred occurred against the queer community, but it’s also a place where resistance and queer joy and queer liberation happened.
‘I think that is worth celebrating and commemorating. So, I think that we need to not ignore hate as it exists today. We need to acknowledge it because it’s not just our past, but it’s our present.‘
But Navratilova retorted: ‘Is this a joke? The pathetic parody of women continues.’
Martina Navratilova last night slammed US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s promotional stunt with drag queen Pattie Gonia
US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland shared a video with drag queen Pattie Gonia at New York City ‘s Stonewall monument
The tennis legend, who has long been seen as a symbol for gay and lesbian rights , hit out in response to the video posted by the Interior Secretary’s official social media account for LGBT History Month
One Twitter user responded to Navratilova’s comment: ‘Butch lesbians always faced the same derision. ”Not really a woman.” We should all embrace each other.’
But she quickly fired back: ‘And how exactly are we supposed to know the difference? And please do not compare males to butch females. Thank you.’
Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and is one of women’s tennis winningest 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 campaigned for gay and lesbian rights, but in recent years has chastised the rise of biological males entering women’s sports as trans women.
In August, she blasted the US Tennis Association (USTA) for its stance on transgender athletes competing in women’s tennis tournaments.
It came as transgender tennis player Alicia Rowley won a Women’s National Tennis Championship and ‘the coveted Golden Ball’.
The Independent Council On Women’s Sports (ICONS) posted the news on Twitter, stating that Rowley recently won the women’s 55+ Grass Court National Championship and National Indoor Singles and Doubles Championship.
The USTA states in its Transgender Inclusion Policy that trans athletes should be included and not blocked 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- whatever age.
‘This is not right and it is not fair. Would this be allowed at the US Open this month? Just with self ID? I don’t think so…’
Martina Navratilova after winning the Womens Singles Final The Wimbledon Tennis Championship 1986
It comes after transgender tennis player Alicia Rowley became the latest Women’s National Tennis Champion
And Navratliova responded to the ICONS co-founder on Twitter stating ‘This is not right and it is not fair’
This is not the first time that Navratilova has published her views on transgender athletes competing in female sporting categories.
In March she said the 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 for all-comers’.
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 cost of exclusion is not inclusion,’ Navratilova responded.
‘Nobody is banning trans people from competing – they just need to compete in the biological category rather than a self ID category.
‘Either one day have three categories or two categories: one open to all and one for biological women only. But they are allowed to compete now.’
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