Martina Navratilova Removed From Athlete Ally Advisory Board Following 'Transphobic' Op-Ed
Athlete Ally, a group dedicated to supporting LGBTQ athletes, dropped Martina Navratilova from its advisory board on Tuesday and criticized the 18-time Grand Slam champion for her op-ed in London's Sunday Times.
Navratilova criticized the rules regarding transgender women in athletics in her op-ed and called their participation in female events "cheating and unfair."
"Athlete Ally unequivocally stands on the side of trans athletes and their right to access and compete in sport free from discrimination," Athlete Ally said in a statement on Tuesday. "Martina Navratilova’s recent comments on trans athletes are transphobic, based on a false understanding of science and data, and perpetuate dangerous myths that lead to the ongoing targeting of trans people through discriminatory laws, hateful stereotypes and disproportionate violence.
Navratilova became a member of Athlete Ally's Ambassador program in 2011 as a "trailblazer for LGBTQ people in sports." Athlete Ally said on Tuesday it will, "extend once again to Martina the invitation to learn from this experience, to study the data on trans athletes in sport, and to examine how statements like hers further stigma and discrimination."
Navratilova won Wimbledon nine times from 1978-90. She holds the record for most singles and doubles victories in the Open Era.
