After Martina Navratilova claimed she’s been labeled a “Nazi” for her stance on transgender athletes, ESPN’s Chris Evert came to the defense of her former tennis rival.
Earlier this week, Navratilova spoke at an “Our Bodies, Our Sports” rally in Washington D.C. as part of the “Take Back Title IX Summer Bus Tour. The tour’s initiative is to push back on the Biden administration updating Title IX guidelines to emphasize “gender identity” rather than “sex” earlier this year. During her speech, Navratilova, who came out in 1981 and remains a strong supporter of gay rights, described being attacked for her position on transgender athletes.
“I personally have never been called worse names than I have been called this last few years,” Navratilova said. “’Oh, you are a lesbian.’ That was the worst I got [in the 1980s]… Now, it’s ‘oh, you’re a homophobe.’ Go figure. I’ve been out since ’81. Yeah, I’m a homophobe.
“’You’re a bigot. You’re a transphobe. You’re a Nazi. You’re a fascist. You’re a communist. Anything and everything in between. And this is coming from the left. I am the left. My people are turning on me, and they’re turning on us, women who speak up for women’s sex-based rights.”
Navratilova’s speech came days after she feuded with sportswriter Ben Rothenberg over differing stances on transgender athletes. Following Navratilova’s attendance at the “Our Body, Our Sports” rally, Chris Evert spoke to OutKick via text and expressed support for Navratilova, who she had a fierce rivalry with on the tennis court decades ago.
“We have had many discussions about the unfairness [of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports], especially transitioning after a male goes through puberty,” Evert told OutKick.
“The physical advantages are undeniable. Science doesn’t lie. Bottom line: everyone is entitled to their opinion and shouldn’t be attacked because of it.”
Chris Evert, who won 18 tennis majors, has been with ESPN since 2011 and will be featured on the network’s upcoming coverage of Wimbledon. Evert joins a growing list of ESPN hosts who have commented on the transgender athlete discussion.
[OutKick]
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com