here in Australia we have started the Lesbian Action Group and we are challenging the Australian Humans Rights Commission which denied us an exemption last year to hold lesbian only events. They said we would be discriminating against 'trans women who are lesbians' ! Our tribunal hearing is in September. We have also started The Lesbian Club (TLC) as a membership based club running events for lesbians only. As a private club apparently we are allowed to do this. We hope to get groups all over Australia. We have also started a young lesbian group for those who don't buy into the trans rubbish. Slowly we need to build our communities up again. www.thelesbianclub.org.auwww.lesbianactiongroup.org.au @ActiveLesbians
It would be wonderful if we could have Martina as our patron too. XX
I love Fridays, because the Lesbian Project Podcast drops into my inbox, and it's always entertaining, informative and genuinely feels like we do have a place to be ourselves and be amongst other lesbians. Today's episode was pretty dammed special, though. Martina is such an icon, not simply as the greatest tennis player of all time, but as a fantastic role model, for girls in sport (before they started allowing males in!) and for young lesbians, by showing them how to be out and proud. That headline from Margaret Court always makes me chuckle. Martina did NOT make me a lesbian, though I watched every match she played. For any uninitiated who may have slipped in here by accident, nobody can make anybody lesbian, gay, or straight, for that matter. What she did do was to give me the impetus, the belief and the courage to take control of my life and live it the way I was supposed to, and for that, I will be forever grateful.
By the way, Martina...Tess Tickle made me laugh so much, I dropped my ipad!
Loved this interview and the ground covered. I’m a 2nd wave lesbian feminist in Australia, spitting teeth at the outrageous faux trans lib movement. It feels like back to the drawing board to deal with the misogyny bursting through the back door - but I’m too damn tired. And when a young “woke” person berates me for my position it’s depressing. They should have our backs, not joining the enemy.
How great to hear from Martina - what a treat to start the weekend! I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to join the loyalty scheme and get perks (hahaha!)
Can't totally agree with you Julie when you describe a past of cosiness and protective friendship with drag queens and transexuals - that wasn't the story for everyone. Two lesbian friends of mine were literally thrown out of a gay club in the 80s, down a set of concrete stairs after complaining about sexist drag acts. Which was often 'the entertainment' and the source of a lot of friction between some gay men and some lesbians, esp lesbian feminists.
Of course all these groups - whether pro-lesbian, or anti-trans (hint: these are not synonymous!) or trans ppl, transactivists, TiMs, trans allies, etc - have views which are more complex and nuanced than much of the public debate allows for (thanks for that, not, Stonewall), which is why it's so valuable to have spaces like this where we can listen, and contribute, to actual discussion rather than just being yelled at by boys in black masks.
When Martina was on the court, our group of lesbian friends crowded around the TV. At every opportunity we would shout, in unison, “Come on Martina!” to cheer her on. We dreamt she was able to hear us right through the TV. These days, one of the best ways I have found to get traction with friends who are not aware of the trans invasion (as all too many still are not) is to cite and quote Martina. It gets through like nothing else. For all these reasons and more, I offer huge, huge thanks to Martina, and to Julie and Kathleen for the delightful interview and all you do for us all.
The Australian Flying Bats Women’s Football (aka Soccer) Club has five male team members and a woman team member who is taking testosterone to masculinise her body. It is not surprising that the Flying Bats FC won every game they played over the course of a four-week competition against women-only teams, winning the grand final 4-0 to take home a $1000 prize. Women-only teams are now beginning to forfeit games against the Flying Bats to avoid humiliating defeat and the high risk of being injured by male players.
And the insanity continues .... In addition to the macrocosmic injustice of males in female sport, I have to wonder what causes individual men to be so lacking in character, so lacking in decency, so lacking in shame, so wholly without honor and a sense of fair play, that they continue this charade.
Marvelous to hear this interview with the iconic Martina Navratilova. I admire her greatly and appreciate all she has done and is continuing to do for lesbians and females as a whole. Thank you, Martina.
I'm in the United States, too. I'd say a big reason we are lagging the UK and other more enlightened nations in challenging gender ideology is the immense amount of money Big Pharma and Big Medicine make from prescribing puberty blockers and lifelong cross -sex hormones, and from performing associated surgeries. Profit rules in America, and gender ideology is likely to recede only as detransitioner lawsuits -- some already under way -- make "gender-affirming care" a net loss rather than gain.
I appreciate what was said in distinguishing trans activists -- including unthinking (and perhaps uncaring) straight progressives who have lined up behind this misogynistic, homophobic ideology -- from the subset of trans people who just want to be left alone.
That said, I'd just like to be left alone, too. After all, I did my part in the '80s and '90s in coming out, co-founding a gay pride celebration and fighting for basic civil rights and protections for gays. But the rights we then won -- and those of all girls and women, which our mothers won -- are now threatened by trans activists, so back into the fray we go. I hope trans people who oppose the current madness will likewise not stay safely on the sidelines, as their voices could be particularly powerful in turning the tide. (Witness erstwhile Bruce/now Caitlyn Jenner.)
A final thought for Americans like me, whose affiliation with the Democratic party has not survived its torrid romance with gender ideology: Give RFK, Jr. a look. While Biden guts Title IX, Kennedy has had the courage -- vanishingly rare among Democrats -- to say males do not belong in female sports. I can only hope he would be similarly sensible about other historically single-sex spaces.
Thanks so much for this especially memorable episode of The Lesbian Project Podcast!
OMG, as a lesbian and a recreational tennis player who was blessed to watch Martina play mixed doubles in Wimbeldon in 2018 - THANK YOU for this utterly delicious episode with Martina. Thank you, thank you, thank you. What an astounding woman and athlete!
here in Australia we have started the Lesbian Action Group and we are challenging the Australian Humans Rights Commission which denied us an exemption last year to hold lesbian only events. They said we would be discriminating against 'trans women who are lesbians' ! Our tribunal hearing is in September. We have also started The Lesbian Club (TLC) as a membership based club running events for lesbians only. As a private club apparently we are allowed to do this. We hope to get groups all over Australia. We have also started a young lesbian group for those who don't buy into the trans rubbish. Slowly we need to build our communities up again. www.thelesbianclub.org.au www.lesbianactiongroup.org.au @ActiveLesbians
It would be wonderful if we could have Martina as our patron too. XX
Thanks for the work you do Carole😻
I love Fridays, because the Lesbian Project Podcast drops into my inbox, and it's always entertaining, informative and genuinely feels like we do have a place to be ourselves and be amongst other lesbians. Today's episode was pretty dammed special, though. Martina is such an icon, not simply as the greatest tennis player of all time, but as a fantastic role model, for girls in sport (before they started allowing males in!) and for young lesbians, by showing them how to be out and proud. That headline from Margaret Court always makes me chuckle. Martina did NOT make me a lesbian, though I watched every match she played. For any uninitiated who may have slipped in here by accident, nobody can make anybody lesbian, gay, or straight, for that matter. What she did do was to give me the impetus, the belief and the courage to take control of my life and live it the way I was supposed to, and for that, I will be forever grateful.
By the way, Martina...Tess Tickle made me laugh so much, I dropped my ipad!
Thanks to all three of you ❤️✊
Loved this interview and the ground covered. I’m a 2nd wave lesbian feminist in Australia, spitting teeth at the outrageous faux trans lib movement. It feels like back to the drawing board to deal with the misogyny bursting through the back door - but I’m too damn tired. And when a young “woke” person berates me for my position it’s depressing. They should have our backs, not joining the enemy.
How great to hear from Martina - what a treat to start the weekend! I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to join the loyalty scheme and get perks (hahaha!)
Can't totally agree with you Julie when you describe a past of cosiness and protective friendship with drag queens and transexuals - that wasn't the story for everyone. Two lesbian friends of mine were literally thrown out of a gay club in the 80s, down a set of concrete stairs after complaining about sexist drag acts. Which was often 'the entertainment' and the source of a lot of friction between some gay men and some lesbians, esp lesbian feminists.
Of course all these groups - whether pro-lesbian, or anti-trans (hint: these are not synonymous!) or trans ppl, transactivists, TiMs, trans allies, etc - have views which are more complex and nuanced than much of the public debate allows for (thanks for that, not, Stonewall), which is why it's so valuable to have spaces like this where we can listen, and contribute, to actual discussion rather than just being yelled at by boys in black masks.
When Martina was on the court, our group of lesbian friends crowded around the TV. At every opportunity we would shout, in unison, “Come on Martina!” to cheer her on. We dreamt she was able to hear us right through the TV. These days, one of the best ways I have found to get traction with friends who are not aware of the trans invasion (as all too many still are not) is to cite and quote Martina. It gets through like nothing else. For all these reasons and more, I offer huge, huge thanks to Martina, and to Julie and Kathleen for the delightful interview and all you do for us all.
Lost for words, this was SOOO good. Martina is such an amazing woman. Thank you for this fantastic podcast
Haven't heard this yet, but wow, Martina - I love her so much, what an amazing ambassador!
Finished! And needless to say Martina didn't disappoint!
I just thank *something* for these three women.
Love you all
The Australian Flying Bats Women’s Football (aka Soccer) Club has five male team members and a woman team member who is taking testosterone to masculinise her body. It is not surprising that the Flying Bats FC won every game they played over the course of a four-week competition against women-only teams, winning the grand final 4-0 to take home a $1000 prize. Women-only teams are now beginning to forfeit games against the Flying Bats to avoid humiliating defeat and the high risk of being injured by male players.
And the insanity continues .... In addition to the macrocosmic injustice of males in female sport, I have to wonder what causes individual men to be so lacking in character, so lacking in decency, so lacking in shame, so wholly without honor and a sense of fair play, that they continue this charade.
I guess it's all about winning for them.
Well, it’s all about them.
Ahh, Martina! I too have watched most of her matches. We’re the same age, I am blessed to have had her as an icon for my adult life ❤️😻
Marvelous to hear this interview with the iconic Martina Navratilova. I admire her greatly and appreciate all she has done and is continuing to do for lesbians and females as a whole. Thank you, Martina.
I'm in the United States, too. I'd say a big reason we are lagging the UK and other more enlightened nations in challenging gender ideology is the immense amount of money Big Pharma and Big Medicine make from prescribing puberty blockers and lifelong cross -sex hormones, and from performing associated surgeries. Profit rules in America, and gender ideology is likely to recede only as detransitioner lawsuits -- some already under way -- make "gender-affirming care" a net loss rather than gain.
I appreciate what was said in distinguishing trans activists -- including unthinking (and perhaps uncaring) straight progressives who have lined up behind this misogynistic, homophobic ideology -- from the subset of trans people who just want to be left alone.
That said, I'd just like to be left alone, too. After all, I did my part in the '80s and '90s in coming out, co-founding a gay pride celebration and fighting for basic civil rights and protections for gays. But the rights we then won -- and those of all girls and women, which our mothers won -- are now threatened by trans activists, so back into the fray we go. I hope trans people who oppose the current madness will likewise not stay safely on the sidelines, as their voices could be particularly powerful in turning the tide. (Witness erstwhile Bruce/now Caitlyn Jenner.)
A final thought for Americans like me, whose affiliation with the Democratic party has not survived its torrid romance with gender ideology: Give RFK, Jr. a look. While Biden guts Title IX, Kennedy has had the courage -- vanishingly rare among Democrats -- to say males do not belong in female sports. I can only hope he would be similarly sensible about other historically single-sex spaces.
Thanks so much for this especially memorable episode of The Lesbian Project Podcast!
Awesome podcast!
Three heroes you are!
Thank you
Suggesting a loyalty scheme with points to be redeemed against Le Creuset, in honour of Jeanette Winterson’s goings on.
Another essential Sapphic experience, Kathleen and Julie!
Love, laughs and unity.
Martina, you're great. Thanks for just being here, speaking out and hanging around.
OMG, as a lesbian and a recreational tennis player who was blessed to watch Martina play mixed doubles in Wimbeldon in 2018 - THANK YOU for this utterly delicious episode with Martina. Thank you, thank you, thank you. What an astounding woman and athlete!