Women's tennis legend Martina Navratilova has launched a scathing attack on Gavin Newsom, accusing the California Governor of 'cheating' female athletes. The 18-time Grand Slam champion's fury comes as a biological male athlete, representing Jurupa Valley High School, prepares to compete in the girls' track and field championships after winning multiple state finals last year.
Navratilova's Outrage
Navratilova, a long-time advocate for women's sports, argued that the Governor has the executive power to intervene but is choosing to remain silent on the matter. 'Newsom could overturn this in a second. No excuse,' Navratilova wrote on X, doubling down on an earlier post where she branded the situation as 'cheating.' 'Cheating… which at the moment the rules allow. Thanks for nothing [Gavin Newsom],' Navratilova wrote, while also sharing news of the athlete's participation.
The tennis icon had also shared an article from Olympic legend Nancy Hogshead, which condemned the state's current policy. 'Right on Nancy!!! We are just built different!!!' she wrote on X while sharing the post.
Olympic Legends Join Criticism
Navratilova isn't alone in her criticism, as she was joined by Hogshead and another Olympic legend, Kaillie Humphries, in calling out Newsom over the matter. Hogshead, a three-time gold medalist and civil rights attorney, told Fox News Digital that Newsom is failing to uphold 'fairness, dignity, and respect' for young women. 'Governor Newsom seems to exclude girls from his own standard of 'fairness, dignity and respect.' It is impossible to include a male - however they identify - into girl's sports and have a fair competition, respecting and dignifying the unique biology of females. Females aren't weakened males; males and females are built from different molds, so different that it justifies formal, government-sanctioned sex segregation. Governor Newsom needs to include the girls competing in track in his own analysis. As a law professor, this is a big fail,' she continued.
Meanwhile, Humphries, who won three Olympic gold medals in bobsled for the U.S. and Canada and six medals in total, also spoke to Fox News Digital about the matter. She said: 'There is nothing fair about allowing boys to take opportunities from girls in sports. It's just the left's thinly veiled misogyny. Governor Newsom should be focusing on California hosting the Olympics which actually knows the difference between men and women and quit pushing his woke agenda which is out of the mainstream of the American public.'
Governor's Office Response
The Governor's office has defended the status quo, citing a 2013 law that requires students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. A spokesperson for Newsom stated that the Governor rejects 'cynical attempts to weaponize this debate' and remains committed to standing up against what he calls 'bullies.' 'The Governor has said discussions on this issue should be guided by fairness, dignity, and respect,' a source told the outlet. 'The Governor's position is simple: stand with all kids and stand up to bullies.'
Protests and Legal Actions
The controversy has already prompted a planned 'Save Girls Sports' protest scheduled for Saturday at the site of the track and field playoff meet. It follows a lawsuit launched by the Department of Justice last July against California state agencies regarding alleged Title IX violations linked to the same athlete's previous victories. The U.S. Department of Education has since expanded that investigation to include 17 other institutions for potential civil rights breaches across the state.
