"Pretty sad" - Martina Navratilova upset over Hunger Games trans star Hunter Schafer claiming “my gender was influenced by a need to be used by men”

Former tennis player Martina Navratilova has condemned model, actress, and LGBTQ rights activist Hunter Schafer's recent claims about gender transitioning. Schafer rose to fame after portraying the role of a transgender school student in the drama series 'Euphoria'.

Over the years, Navratilova has been a staunch supporter of women, especially in sports. She retired from professional tennis in the year 2006 but not before winning a staggering 59 Grand Slam titles overall. Eighteen of those trophies came in the singles category.

The Czech-American recently learned about Hunger Games film star Schafer's since deleted controversial social-media post regarding the star's sexual orientation. Schafer posted a picture from a journal on Instagram in which the following was written:

“My gender was so influenced by a need to be used by men. My sexual orientation was not gay, it was not straight, it was an attraction, is an attraction, always to misogyny. Not feeling femme enough w/o being a victim of rape. The idea of being eaten used to arouse me.”

Navratilova took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her dismay over Schafer's opinion. She criticized Schafer's statement writing:

"Yikes… “a need to be used by men”. Pretty sad this is what he thinks of women…"

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Martina Navratilova claims "we need to keep excluding" transgender athletes from women's competition

Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova recently admitted to facing abuse for openly being a lesbian.

"Having been openly lesbian since 1981, I’m no stranger to public abuse and ridicule. I respect all people’s rights to dress and behave in ways that do not conform to gender stereotypes. After all, that’s a longtime goal of feminism. I respect everyone’s rights to nondiscrimination in employment and housing. And of course, I respect everyone’s quest to play sports," she wrote in an essay for Genspect.

Navratilova, however, suggested that transgender athletes should either compete against men or enroll themselves with the Federation of Gay Games. She said:

"Can males who identify as women be accommodated in sports? Of course. They can play in the men’s category. The men’s category can be redefined as “open.” Or they can create their own events, as the Gay Games have done every four years since 1982."

"I support any accommodations so long as male athletes do not take participation opportunities or scholarships from female athletes," Martina Navratilova added.

The 67-year-old further suggested that allowing transgender athletes into female sports is against the idea of exclusive platforms for women.

"The female category was created to provide opportunities for women to compete fairly. It was always intended to exclude males. We need to keep excluding them."