… What Martina Navratilova said about trans people, well what did her former partner have to say about that?
This morning I am substituting for an adjunct social work professor at University of St. Joseph who is out on maternity leave.
Yesterday I was on a panel at University of Hartford for a psychology class and I feel bad for the lesbian that was with me, I asked all of the questions…gays and lesbians are so passé.
What does Billie Jean King say about Martina Navratilova’s stance on trans athletes?Okay… I am tired of “LGBTQ champion” just giving us lip service, you are either for us or against you can’t be a fence sitter. I realize that it is hard to come out against a former partner but all she had to say is something like “I don’t agree with her.” Spouses, partners, and friends disagree all the time instead she tries to wiggle out of answering with a non-committal statement.
Out Sports
By Dawn Ennis
February 20, 2019
Record-shattering tennis legend and out lesbian Billie Jean King tweeted a plea for an end to “conjecture” and to let science figure out the debate over transgender inclusion in sports, recently re-ignited by her friend and fellow icon, Martina Navratilova.
In her tweet Wednesday afternoon, King set a conciliatory tone clearly aimed at trying to douse the flames that Navratilova’s controversial Sunday Times of London op-ed had fanned. She didn’t take sides, but she did make a plea for science, not emotions or bias, to settle the matter.
From the words she chose, it appears she’s reluctant to take sides, although some were quick to see her tweet as an endorsement of their cause. A man whose profile said he was a professional tennis umpire tweeted, “We need more people onboard with us to support our cause ”
King’s tweet started with a defense of her friend, calling Navratilova a long-time “LGBTQ champion” who “cares deeply for the transgender community.”
This morning I am substituting for an adjunct social work professor at University of St. Joseph who is out on maternity leave.
Yesterday I was on a panel at University of Hartford for a psychology class and I feel bad for the lesbian that was with me, I asked all of the questions…gays and lesbians are so passé.
Navratolova's debating the fairness of trans women competing with cis women is valid. Her portrayal of trans women being, essentially, men wearing tennis skirts is what is offensive. Throwing in the "P" word really made it derogatory and TERF-like.
ReplyDeleteCertainly, there need to be some standards when considering trans women competing against cis women in most sports. Looking at the current USA track records for girls, I can tell you that my times, as a 15-year-old boy (53 years ago), were as good, or better, than those of the record-holding girls of today. Oftentimes, I would get home after track practice and cross dress, but I never even considered that the girl in me included running against other girls. Had male puberty not already started taking hold of my physical development, I'm sure that I wouldn't have been able to run as fast as I did, but I'd still have been competitive with the girls of the time. Even at 8-years-old, I could run faster than the older girls who teased and chased me! :-)
It's unfortunate that Navratilova depicted trans women as she did. I don't know if she is ignorant as to what "transgender" means, but her words are very hurtful to many trans women (some trans men, as well). I wouldn't mind if she wanted to continue the debate on the fairness of competition, but even her supposed apology for her original tweet just added fuel to the fire. Now Billie Jean King is chiming in, but not with anything that could tame the flames. In fact, if you read comments to the story on different media agencies, you will see that this is all destructive to the cause of greater trans inclusion.