Navratilova Presses Billie Jean King on Trans Athletes in Women's Sports, Citing 200-Athlete Brief
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 2
Navratilova Presses Billie Jean King on Trans Athletes in Women's Sports, Citing 200-Athlete Brief
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 2
Martina Navratilova said Billie Jean King has never explained how she can acknowledge male physical advantages while still backing trans-identifying biological males competing in girls’ and women’s sports.
King told The Telegraph in 2025 that the debate was "a nightmare" and urged inclusion, and in 2020 joined nearly 200 athletes backing a brief against Idaho’s ban on trans athletes in female sports.
Navratilova argued the issue goes beyond winning to roster spots, awards, prize money, privacy and safety, saying the solution is to keep sex-based boundaries intact in women’s sports and spaces.
Nancy Hogshead, a 3-time Olympic gold medalist and former Women’s Sports Foundation president, said King has long known men are bigger and stronger but has not applied that to fairness for girls.
The dispute highlights a widening split among women’s sports advocates, with Navratilova saying even Renée Richards now believes male puberty leaves lasting athletic advantages that should bar entry to female categories.