Former women’s tennis star Martina Navratilova weighed in on Tuesday’s vote on the Protecting Women and Girls in Sports Act in the House of Representatives. The Republican majority voted unanimously to pass the bill, but only two Democratic members of the House voted in favor, while the rest did not.
Navratilova has also taken a strong stance against trans inclusion in women’s and girls’ sports, while previously criticizing Democratic lawmakers for their support. These criticisms continued Tuesday in a series of messages on X.
“Shame on Democrats who don’t really care about women, girls, their safety and fairness,” she wrote in response to the news that only two Democratic House members had voted in favor of the bill.
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Americans Andrea Jaeger, left, and Martina Navratilova hold bouquets after their women’s final at Wimbledon in London. Navratilova won the title in straight sets: 6-0, 6-3. (Bettmann via Getty Images)
In another post, Navratilova insisted that there should be more than two Democratic members of the House of Representatives who oppose trans inclusion and that those members should “grow a spine” .
“More Democrats need to step up here. I know many who agree but are afraid to speak out because of re-election. I say do the right thing. Grow your backbone,” he said. -she writes.
This is not the first time Navratilova has attacked the left for its different views on the issue.
In a December article on X, the tennis legend She said she was “crazy” that Republicans took on the national controversy rather than Democrats, the party she aligned with.
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Martina Navratilova of Tennis Channel plays pickleball during a promotional match while playing with PPA player, Jay Devilliers of France, on day 13 of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2024 in Paris. (Fred Mullane/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
“And I am so angry that Republicans have seized on this issue – shame on all Democratic elected officials who remain silent on this subject!” she wrote.
The tennis legend appeared at the Independent Women’s Forum’s “Take Back Title IX” rally in June, as she and other prominent female athletes pushed back against the Biden administration’s proposals. Rewriting of Title IX.
There, she shared her experience of being attacked by other liberals for her stance on trans inclusion.
Czech-American former professional tennis player Martina Navratilova speaks during a joint press conference with American Chris Evert, on day 5 of the GNP Seguros WTA Cancun 2023 Finals, as part of the Hologic WTA Tour, the November 2, 2023. in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Now it’s, ‘Oh, you’re a homophobe.’ Go figure. I’ve been out since 1981, yes, I’m homophobic,” she said. “‘You’re a bigot, you’re a transphobe, you’re a Nazi, you’re a fascist, you’re a communist,’ everything and everything else. And this is coming from the left. I’m on the left! My people are turns against me. They turn against us, women, who defend women’s rights based on sex.
Before that, Navratilova called Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo, who competed in the Paralympics as a trans woman, a “pathetic cheater.” In March, she launched a call for “keep women’s sports feminine.”
