{"id":843316,"date":"2026-06-04T07:29:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T07:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/843316\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T07:29:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T07:29:58","slug":"martina-navratilova-says-she-tried-to-warn-kamala-harris-campaign-about-trans-athletes-nobody-would-listen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/843316\/","title":{"rendered":"Martina Navratilova says she tried to warn Kamala Harris’ campaign about trans athletes: ‘Nobody would listen’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jennifer Sey on trans athlete wins in girls’ track competition<\/a> <\/p>\n

Jennifer Sey, founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics, addresses the ongoing debate around a transgender high school athlete winning state track titles in California. Sey highlights that biological boys competing in girls’ sports undermines fair competition, advocating for national and state legislation to uphold Title IX’s intent.<\/p>\n

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova says Democrats<\/a> had a chance to listen about transgender athletes and women\u2019s sex-based rights.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion and one of the most prominent openly gay athletes in sports history, told OutKick in a recent interview that she attempted to get a message to Kamala Harris<\/a> as Republicans hammered Democrats over the issue of transgender athletes and women\u2019s sex-based rights during the 2024 election.<\/p>\n

“I tried to get to Kamala Harris\u2019 campaign,” Navratilova told OutKick. “Nobody would listen to me.”<\/p>\n

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA SAYS BILLIE JEAN KING\u2019S TRANS-ATHLETE STANCE \u2018DOESN\u2019T SQUARE\u2019 WITH HER OWN WORDS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Martina <\/p>\n

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova told OutKick that Democrats ignored warnings on transgender athletes and let Republicans turn the issue against Kamala Harris. (Roy Rochlin\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

OutKick contacted Harris\u2019 office and a former senior communications official for Harris\u2019 2024 campaign seeking comment on Navratilova\u2019s claim. Neither responded.<\/p>\n

For Navratilova, that wasn\u2019t just a campaign problem. It was a Democratic Party problem.<\/p>\n

She said the silence from Democrats does not reflect what many of them say privately<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“The politicians, I\u2019ve spoken to some of them, Democrats, and they agree with me. But they said, \u2018If I say so publicly, I will get primaried. I will not get reelected,\u2019” Navratilova said.<\/p>\n

That leaves Democratic leaders stuck between voters and activists, according to Navratilova.<\/p>\n

“Most Democratic voters agree that this is not okay,” Navratilova said. “They are against all inclusion and self-ID, and they are for women, but Democrats don\u2019t see how they\u2019re throwing women under the bus this way, and it\u2019s just infuriating.”<\/p>\n

Polling has shown the issue cuts across party lines. A January 2025 New York Times\/Ipsos survey<\/a> found 67% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents said biological males who identify as girls or women should not be allowed to compete in women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n

Navratilova is not speaking as a conservative outsider.<\/p>\n

Navratilova has been publicly out since 1981 and spent decades advocating for gay rights. She still considers herself part of the left<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Martina <\/p>\n

Martina Navratilova told OutKick that Democrats ignored warnings on transgender athletes and let Republicans turn the issue against Kamala Harris. (Tim Clayton\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

That\u2019s part of what makes her warning so pointed.<\/p>\n

Navratilova said she tried to reach Harris\u2019 campaign through a person connected to the campaign, but couldn\u2019t break through. She said advocates for women\u2019s sex-based rights have run into the same barrier when trying to speak with Democratic lawmakers.<\/p>\n

“When we try to get a meeting with the Democratic senators<\/a> and congresspeople, the staff won\u2019t let us through,” Navratilova said. “They\u2019re young people, and they are the ones that control everybody. And they\u2019re the ones that are telling them what\u2019s what.”<\/p>\n

Navratilova said part of the problem is that Democrats often want to avoid conflict at all costs.<\/p>\n

“I mean, we\u2019re Democrats, we want to make everybody happy, right?” Navratilova said. “And women, particularly, they\u2019re taught to be that way, so we don\u2019t want to make anybody mad and upset and hurt, but they\u2019re not seeing the other side, that they\u2019re actually hurting so many women on this front.”<\/p>\n

That is the heart of the issue, according to Navratilova.<\/p>\n

Democrats can talk about inclusion, but biological males entering women\u2019s sports creates consequences for female athletes. It costs them roster spots, podium spots, championships and opportunities.<\/p>\n

\"Protesters <\/p>\n

Protesters wave transgender pride flags outside the Supreme Court in Washington as it hears arguments on Jan. 13, 2026, over state laws barring trans-identifying biological males from school athletic teams. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson\/AP Photo)<\/p>\n

And Navratilova said those consequences are not limited to college<\/a> or professional sports.<\/p>\n

“It starts at the high school<\/a> level,” Navratilova said.<\/p>\n

She pointed to high school athlete AB Hernandez<\/a>, who won California high school girls\u2019 high jump and triple jump titles in 2025 and defended both state titles in 2026, and other recent cases involving trans-identifying male athletes winning girls\u2019 state championships.<\/p>\n

INSIDE THE LAST DANCE OF AB HERNANDEZ<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“It\u2019s not just one-off,” Navratilova said. “It doesn\u2019t matter how many because one affects everybody around them.”<\/p>\n

And even one athlete, she argued, can change much more than an individual result.<\/p>\n

“Whether they\u2019re on their team or on the opposing team, they win the school championship because the boy won the high jump and now everybody on that team wins and the other team loses because it was not a fair fight,” Navratilova said.<\/p>\n

Republicans have repeatedly hit Democrats over transgender issues, particularly on biological males in women\u2019s sports. Navratilova said Democrats should not expect that<\/a> to stop.<\/p>\n

“Look how much Trump is bringing it up<\/a> every chance he gets,” Navratilova said. “They are going to keep using it.”<\/p>\n

One of Trump\u2019s 2024 attack ads targeted Harris over statements<\/a> she made during the 2019 Democratic primary supporting access to gender-transition procedures for prisoners and detainees, and closed with a simple message: “Kamala\u2019s agenda is they\/them, not you.”<\/p>\n

The ad became one of the clearest examples of what Navratilova says Democrats failed to confront.<\/p>\n

“They used it,” Navratilova said. “They\u2019re very clever, and it was used against the Democrats in a very effective way.”<\/p>\n

According to the Associated Press<\/a>, Harris Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks called the Trump ad “very effective” and said it made Harris “seem out of touch.”<\/p>\n

Navratilova\u2019s point is not that the ad alone cost Harris the election. It\u2019s that Democrats made themselves vulnerable on an issue that many voters see as clear-cut<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I have had so many people say to me, if they can\u2019t say what a woman is, how can I trust them on anything else?” Navratilova said. “Honestly, it\u2019s just so obvious.”<\/p>\n

\"Kamala <\/p>\n

Martina Navratilova told OutKick she tried to warn Kamala Harris\u2019 campaign on transgender athletes, but says Democrats refused to listen at all. (Montinique Monroe\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

She added that the problems go beyond sports.<\/p>\n

In her view, Democrats and progressive activists have allowed women\u2019s spaces, awards and opportunities to be redefined in ways that often elevate biological males who identify as women, not females who identify as men.<\/p>\n

Sarah McBride became the first openly transgender member of Congress after being sworn in to represent Delaware\u2019s lone House seat. Rachel Levine became the highest-ranking openly transgender federal official in U.S. history after being confirmed as assistant secretary for health under former President Joe Biden<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, was named Woman of the Year<\/a> by Attitude magazine after the Bud Light controversy.<\/p>\n

That is the dynamic Navratilova is talking about.<\/p>\n

“Guess who is getting the prizes? Guess who is getting the positions of power?” Navratilova said. “Where is the congresswoman here, or a board of directors here, or head of this charity, or this beauty pageant? It\u2019s always males coming into women\u2019s spaces. It\u2019s not the other way around.”<\/p>\n

OUTKICK IS NOW ON THE FOX APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

That is why Navratilova believes Democrats are making both a moral mistake and a political one. They are not just losing an argument, she said. They are refusing to have it.<\/p>\n

Navratilova tried to warn the Harris campaign.<\/p>\n

She says Democratic politicians privately know there\u2019s a problem. But publicly, she says, the party keeps choosing activists over women. And Republicans, Navratilova warned, will keep taking advantage of it.<\/p>\n

“If they can\u2019t say what a woman is, how can I trust them on anything else?”<\/p>\n

Dan Zaksheske is a reporter at OutKick.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jennifer Sey on trans athlete wins in girls’ track competition Jennifer Sey, founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":843317,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[48],"tags":[9124,69,27593,306237,93952,62,1464,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-843316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-democratic-party","tag-donald-trump","tag-kamala-harris","tag-outkick-sports","tag-republicans-elections","tag-sports","tag-tennis","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116690671874742560","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/843316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=843316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/843316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/843317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=843316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=843316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=843316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}