Martina Navratilova says trans women can’t be lesbians

Cis lesbian tennis player Martina Navratilova thinks that transgender women can’t be lesbians.

In a November 28 post on X, formerly known as Twitter, she wrote, “Omg… a bloke cannot be a lesbian. No matter what they say, no matter how they feel, no matter how much they try to convince us otherwise. A bloke≠ a lesbian.”

Related: Martina Navratilova demands Daniel Radcliffe “be quiet” about trans rights

She got mad at him for something he said three years ago.

She made her comment in response to a three-minute video on the importance of lesbian visibility created by the U.K. LGBTQ+ organization Stonewall. The video features Katie Cornhill, a transgender woman who talks about how lesbian visibility helps create safe spaces in society.

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One commenter on X misgendered Cornhill and accused Stonewall of trying to “erase women” by including her in the video. Another referred to Cornhill as a “bloke,” leading Navratilova to make her aforementioned comment.

Omg…a bloke cannot be a lesbian. No matter what they say, no matter how they feel, no matter how much they try to convince us otherwise. A bloke≠ a lesbian https://t.co/BmnIvycK17

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) November 28, 2023

In misgendering a trans woman and excluding her from the lesbian community, Navratilova is echoing sentiments of so-called “trans exclusionary radical feminists” (TERFs) who see womanhood as an inborn “essential” identity determined by sex assigned at birth — one that can’t be claimed by undergoing medical transition.

Some TERFs oppose trans women entering traditionally cisgender female spaces. They believe trans women are actually men who are unfairly trying to “erase” cis women by claiming their experiences and social spaces as their own.

In late 2018, Navratilova has opposed trans women participating in women’s sports.

“You can’t just proclaim yourself a female and be able to compete against women. There must be some standards, and having a penis and competing as a woman would not fit that standard,” she wrote on X in late 2018. She later deleted her post and apologized, promising to be quiet until she better educated herself on the issue.

Her post caused her to lose her position on the advisory board of Athlete Ally, an organization that works for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports.

Her comments were also condemned by transgender athletes. Cyclist Rachel McKinnon said Navratilova “trades on age-old stereotypes and stigma against trans women, treating us as men just pretending to be real women.”

Navratilova is largely considered one of the best female tennis players of all time, certainly until the dominance of the Williams’ sisters. She came out as bisexual shortly after becoming a US citizen in 1981. She later came out as a lesbian. 

Navratilova was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer in January.

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