Latest news with #transgenderInSports
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
One of the biggest names in tennis history throws her weight behind Aussie activist who is fighting a crusade against trans women in sport
Martina Navratilova, one of tennis's most celebrated figures, has backed Australian women's rights activist Sall Grover amid growing tensions over transgender inclusion in women's sport. Navratilova, who won 59 Grand Slam titles and dominated women's tennis for more than three decades, has recently reignited the debate by supporting Grover's calls for clearer policies on gender-based competition. The tennis legend voiced her support on social media platform X after commenting on the controversy surrounding Algerian Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif. Khelif was banned by World Boxing in 2025 following new sex-testing policies despite winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her ban followed prior disqualification from the 2023 Women's World Championships over alleged gender eligibility concerns, although she was cleared by the IOC to compete in Paris. Navratilova posted: 'Looking forward to all the apologies here!!!! All those who called us and most of all the opponents of Imane horrible names etc.' Pictured: The exchange on social media platform X in which Navratilova showed her support for Grover One of her followers responded, urging her to help women in Australia who felt that sporting fairness was under threat. 'Men can identify as women, simply because they say they are… Women's sport is suffering. Please help us raise awareness,' the follower posted. Navratilova replied: 'I know. Sall is on it – she will get it right for Australia eventually.' Grover, founder of the female-only app Giggle for Girls, has been one of Australia's most vocal critics of transgender inclusion in women's sport. She argues that allowing trans women to compete in female categories undermines the integrity, fairness and safety of those competitions. Grover said: 'Sports aren't played with edited birth certificates, they're played with bodies.' She has called for federal legislation to ensure women's sport is reserved for biological females. 'All guidelines need to clearly state that female sport is female only, and no legal fiction a man gets can overrule that,' Grover said. 'Sports aren't played with edited birth certificates, they're played with bodies.' The Giggle v Tickle case, in which Grover was found to have indirectly discriminated against a transgender woman, is currently under appeal. Grover said a legal win would 'establish that men cannot be women & that women-only spaces, services & sport are for women – the biological ones, the only kind of women there is.' Transgender inclusion in Australian sport varies by level and code. At the community level, self-identification is generally accepted, consistent with Human Rights Commission guidelines. However, elite and professional codes follow more stringent policies, often requiring evidence of hormone levels and transition timing. This is advised by the Australian Institute of Sport to maintain fairness and safety. Grover has rejected this two-tiered system, pushing for a total ban on transgender participation in women's sport. 'Where guidelines are letting down Australian women and girls, by letting men and boys self identify into our spaces and sport, we need federal legislation that can override any nonsense guidelines,' she said. 'We need laws that clearly state that anything exclusively for females is strictly female only, and that no male can ever be a female.' Navratilova's public support marks a significant international endorsement of Grover's position. It also arrives amid a growing number of Australian sports cases involving transgender athletes. In 2025, the Riddell District Netball Football League banned two transgender players, including Manawa Aranui, after safety complaints. In 2023, Basketball Australia ruled Lexi Rodgers ineligible to play in the NBL1 South women's league following a medical panel review. The WPGA Tour of Australasia followed suit in 2024, amending its eligibility rules to exclude transgender players like Breanna Gill unless they transitioned before puberty. Transgender athletes have experienced mixed rulings across sports. Hannah Mouncey, though barred from the AFLW in 2018, was allowed to represent Australia in international women's handball. Mianne Bagger, a transgender golfer, made history in 2004 by competing professionally in the Ladies European Tour after her transition. Navratilova has long advocated for LGBTQ+ rights but has raised concerns about competitive equity in elite women's sport. She continues to support inclusion at amateur levels but questions the impact of biological advantages in elite female competitions. Grover believes politicians and institutions have failed to provide leadership, leaving women to fight their battles through legal and public forums. 'Without effective leadership on this issue from politicians or institutions like the Australian Human Rights Commission or Australian Institute of Sport, the fight has been left to every day women to battle in court and society to ensure that women have rights,' she said.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Simone Biles And Riley Gaines' Fight Over Trans Athlete Escalates With 'Vile' Jab At The Olympian's Traumatic Past
Olympic champion Simone Biles and former college swimmer Riley Gaines are locked in a heated feud over transgender inclusion in women's sports. Biles criticized Gaines for targeting a trans athlete on social media, calling her a "sore loser" and suggesting inclusive alternatives. This prompted Riley Gaines to fire back, accusing Simone Biles of enabling "men" in women's spaces and invoking Biles' past abuse under Larry Nassar to underscore her stance. Biles fiercely clapped back at former collegiate swimmer and conservative commentator Riley Gaines following her recent comments about a transgender high school athlete. Gaines, now a media personality for OutKick and Fox, criticized Minnesota's Champlin Park softball team for including transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger during their state title win. In a now-viral tweet, she remarked, "Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy." The post drew sharp backlash, including a pointed response from Biles, who furiously accused Gaines of being a "sore loser," referencing her past rivalry with trans swimmer Lia Thomas. "You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser," Biles wrote. The gymnastics icon went on to advocate for inclusion in sports, stating: "You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive, creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!" "But instead… You bully them," Biles continued. "One thing for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!" In a sharp follow-up tweet, Biles stated, "Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male." The jab prompted a fiery response from Gaines, who said: "This is actually so disappointing. It's not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. You can uplift men stealing championships in women's sports with YOUR platform. Men don't belong in women's sports, and I say that with my full chest." Gaines doubled down on her stance, accusing Biles of prioritizing political correctness over the integrity of women's sports. She wrote: "My take is the least controversial take on the planet. Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls' dreams? Didn't have that on my bingo card. Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028." The former swimmer also addressed Biles' comment that some interpreted as body-shaming: "And the subtle hint at 'body-shaming'???? Plzzzz I'm 5'5." Gaines further escalated her online feud with Biles by invoking the gymnast's traumatic history with former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. In response to Biles' defense of trans inclusion in sports, Gaines posted on X: "All the horrific sexual abuse @Simmone_Biles witnessed and spoke out against caused by one man, yet believes women should be forced to strip naked in front of men to validate the man's feelings. You know how many gold medals you'd have if your 'inclusive' dream came true? Zero." To reinforce her argument, Gaines shared a clip of Biles' emotional Senate testimony about the abuse she endured, alongside a screenshot of Biles' tweet. She captioned the post: "Simone Biles when she had to endure a predatory man Vs Simone Biles when other girls have to endure predatory men." Gaines later clarified her remarks, stating she hopes Nassar "spends the rest of his life rotting away and miserable in prison." She emphasized that Biles and other gymnasts were "failed by a system that protected an abusive man at the expense of the girls' safety," claiming the same system is now failing female athletes amid the growing debate over gender inclusion in sports. Gaines' comments about Nassar, however, drew some backlash, with many on X criticizing her for bringing up Biles' traumatic past. One person wrote, "Riley Gaines using Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of Simone Biles to attack Biles is vile. It also undermines child protection. Children are most at risk of abuse by trusted authority figures like Nassar, not by transgender children." Another stated, "You're a piece of sh-t drumming up a woman's trauma to try and win an argument based [on] your own ignorance and bias. You're the lowest scum on the planet, quite literally!" Adding to the backlash, former ESPN anchor Sage Steele voiced her support for Gaines. "Easy to say this @Simone_Biles when you only had to compete against fellow women," Steele wrote. "Every one of your Olympic medals came competing against fellow women." She continued: "Riley Gaines was not only forced to compete against a man, but forced to share a locker room with a man. THAT is SICK. Shocked and disappointed that you'd attack another woman who has done nothing but uplift other women." Steele urged Biles to use her influence more constructively: "If YOU think it makes sense to create a league for trans people, go for it! Use that huge platform of yours! But to attack Riley for what she has done for little girls who want to be the next Simone Biles is… sick."
Forbes
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Simone Biles And Riley Gaines Clash Over Transgender Athletes In Women's Sports
Simone Biles took aim at conservative pundit and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines Friday. Biles, the most successful gymnast of all time, called out the former swimmer for her recent comments advocating for the exclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports. Since tying for fifth place with transgender female swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA Swimming Championships, Gaines has transitioned from athlete to conservative activist, with her views staunchly focused on the opposition of transgender inclusion in women's sports. Lately, Gaines' commentary has included spotlighting and vilifying transgender children and teens for their involvement in women's and girls' sports. On Friday, Gaines spouted off at a children's softball team on X, mocking the team's moderators for turning off the post comments. 'Comments off lol,' Gaines commented in a quote tweet. "To be expected when your star player is a boy,' she added. Biles quickly vilified Gaines' comment, putting the conservative commentator on blast in front of Biles' nearly 2 million followers. 'You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race,' Biles said, referencing Gaines' fifth-place finish. 'Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive or creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports,' she continued. ' bully them. One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!' Gaines was quick to fight back and diminish Biles' years of advocacy for mental health and safety in the sport, labeling Biles 'a male-apologist at the expense of young girls' dreams." The former swimmer then attempted to deflect and insert transphobic talking points, insinuating that Biles should partake in men's gymnastics due to the gymnast's viewpoints. 'Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028," Gaines said. Gaines gained notoriety for her fervent anti-trans views following a 5th-place finish at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Since the disappointing result, the former Kentucky Wildcat has become fully immersed in her chosen cause: preventing transgender women athletes from competing in women's sports. She has testified before Congress, joined a lawsuit against the NCAA, and founded an advocacy center focused on what Gaines believes is 'fairness in women's sports.' The 25-year-old frequently aligns with conservative political figures, including current U.S. President Donald Trump. Ultimately, Gaines has achieved media success as a sports figure despite minimal success within her sport. Conversely, Simone Biles has staunchly advocated for athlete well-being throughout her historic career. Biles champions mental health awareness and changed the narrative following her withdrawal due to 'The Twisties' during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Additionally, as one of the most prominent survivors in the U.S.A Gymnastics Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal, Biles used her platform to advocate for accountability and the establishment of safe environments in women's sports. Together, the two figures could not be more at odds – both in terms of success within their sports and in their treatment of others.
