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That moment when your anti-trans beliefs put you at odds with one of the international authorities on human rights...
Martina Navratilova and J.K. Rowling are continuing to obsess over transgender people's genitals.
The out lesbian former tennis player and previously relevant author each took to Twitter/X on Tuesday to attack the United Nations for an International Lesbian Day post that included a transgender flag, with Navratilova claiming that there is "no such thing as a trans lesbian."
"Lesbian literally means a female who is same-sex (female) attracted," she wrote. "It’s really pretty simple."
The first response the Harry Potter author could seemingly think of also zeroed in on the assumed genitals of trans people, as Rowling responded, "Lesbians don’t have dicks and trying to shame them into accepting men into their dating pools is homophobic."
This isn't the first time either has disparaged the trans community — Navratilova has even previously claimed that “a bloke cannot be a lesbian." The 18-time Grand Slam title winner has also enthusiastically supported anti-trans laws in the United States, particularly those prohibiting trans youth participation in sports under their gender identity.
X's community notes even chimed in, repeating Navratilova's blatantly false definition of lesbianism as a "fact check," despite going against the consensus of LGBTQ+ organizations and even queer history.
Navratilova and Rowling's belief isn't just their opinion — it is factually incorrect. As GLAAD explains, "Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer. For example, a person who transitions from male to female and is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a straight woman. A person who transitions from female to male and is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a gay man."
The U.N. sparked a similar uproar last year after its International Lesbian Day post also included trans lesbians, but the complaints have not changed the stance of the world's leading authority on human rights.
The U.N. put it best in its original post this year, in which it wrote, "The lesbian community is incredible and diverse. Lesbians have many gender expressions, body types, and sex characteristics. They are also of any race, ethnicity, class, or background. Today we celebrate them ALL."
