Martina
Navratilova recently praised a group of female athletes for taking a strong
stance against the participation of a transgender athlete on their swim team.
Ten members
of the women's swim team at Roanoke College in Virginia made a public statement
at a press conference called 'NCAA - Save Women.'
The event
unfolded in response to the inclusion of a transgender woman on the women's
swim team after being part of the men's swim team the previous year.
“This is
historic. A LIVE event happening right now in #Virginia. It is the FIRST TIME
an entire team of female athletes have stood together in public to defend their
rights to sex-based eligibility in #sports. Shame on @NCAA and @RoanokeCollege
. STOP gutting women's rights. START defending #TitleIX in the #USA.
#SaveWomensSports #Fairness4Females” read the post
Martina
Navratilova, well-known for her active advocacy for women's sports and her
stance against the participation of transgender women in women's competitions,
expressed her support for the swimmers on Twitter.
“Well done
girls!!! This is exactly what it will take to change the rules!” Navratilova
wrote on Twitter.
The
swimmers demanded that USA Swimming and the NCAA change the rules that allow
transgender athletes to compete. However, a press release from Roanoke College
on Thursday stated that the transgender student in question "withdrew her
application to join the women's swimming team" before the school's
Division III NCAA board meeting.
American
tennis legend Martina Navratilova has repeatedly expressed her opposition to
the inclusion of transgender women in women's categories in any sport. She
recently criticized Gymnastics Australia for its decision to allow athletes to
compete in the category that best matches their gender identity:
"To
say this won’t end well is an understatement. To say Gymnastics Australia just
threw females and girls under the bus is an understatement. What is wrong with
you guys???"
"This
“inclusion” actually will EXCLUDE biological women and most of all girls. #whataboutthegirls
???" Martina Navratilova tweeted.
