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Trans activists fume ahead of BBC film promising to tell both sides of trans athlete debate
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Trans activists fume ahead of BBC film promising to tell both sides of trans athlete debate

The documentary will be hosted by tennis legend Martina Navratilova

Trans activists fighting to end the debate over transgender athletes competing in women's sports are up in arms after the BBC promised it would fully explore both sides of the issue in an upcoming documentary.

What are the details?

Last month, BBC One announced its film titled "Trans Athletes: A Fair Playing Field?" aimed at presenting an unbiased presentation of the controversial topic. The piece will be hosted by tennis great and longtime LGBT activist Martina Navratilova.

The former Wimbledon champion issued a statement saying, "I hope that this documentary enables everybody to be more knowledgeable about the overall transgender and sport debate and hopefully brings us closer to a solution that makes as many people as possible happy."

The Daily Caller reported Monday that transgender activists are furious over the project, citing bloggers and journalists not only unhappy over the prospect that there are even two sides to the debate, but skeptical of Navritalova being a worthy reporter on the topic.

Navratilova made headlines earlier this year after she penned an op-ed arguing "a man can decide to be female, take hormones if required by whatever sporting organization is concerned, win everything in sight and perhaps a small fortune, and then reverse his decision and go back to making babies if he so desires."

She went on to refer to such scenarios as "insane" and "cheating."

After receiving a barrage of attacks for her stance, Navratilova promised to research the issue further and present her findings. In the BBC documentary, she has lined up an array of interviews including scientists, physicians, sporting officials, and transgender athletes and the biologically female athletes they compete with.

Unacceptable, say critics. The Caller pointed to a post from a recent LGBT sports blog that declared that despite Navratilova's decades-long record as a champion for the LGBT community, her outspokenness and skepticism over transgender athletes is a disqualifier.

In the article, which asks if Navratilova has "missed her chance to redeem herself for opposing trans inclusion in sports," Ken Schultz wrote:

Framing the documentary as a look at "all sides of the debate" implies that believing "male athletes transition to female just to win a trophy" is a valid point worthy of consideration, instead of being a pitch for a terrible Adam Sander movie. To be blunt: This is simply not an issue with two valid arguments.

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