Tennis legend Martina Navratilova slams Lia Thomas after jab at feminists

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova ripped Lia Thomas after the transgender swimmer, who won an NCAA women’s swimming championship, criticized the "half support" she claimed she receives.

Thomas said on the "Dear Schuyler" podcast with Bailar Schuyler – the first openly transgender NCAA swimmer – those who support her as a person but not her pursuit in sports are "using the guise of feminism to sort of push transphobic beliefs."

Navratilova slammed Thomas’ remarks in a tweet on Wednesday.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"NEWSFLASH Lia- it’s not fair. We shouldn’t have to explain it to you over and over. Also- stop explaining feminism to feminists…." Navratilova wrote.

The nine-time Wimbledon champion has been an activist for the gay community but has been against transgender women competing against biological women in sports.

Last month, she applauded World Athletics for adopting a policy to exclude transgender female athletes from women’s competitions. She called it a "step in the right direction."

TRANSGENDER SWIMMING PIONEER DISMISSES 'BIOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE' FOR TRANS FEMALE ATHLETES, CITES MICHAEL PHELPS

"In the wake of World Athletics’ announcement, I think the best idea would be to have ‘biological female’ and ‘biological girls’ categories and then an ‘open’ category," she wrote in an op-ed in The Times of UK. "It would be a category for all-comers: men who identify as men; women who identify as women; women who identify as men; men who identify as women; non-binary — it would be a catch-all. This is already being explored in athletics and swimming in Britain.

"Biological females are most likely to compete in the biological female category, as that’s their best shot at winning and it maintains the principle of fairness. With an ‘open’ category there are no question marks, no provisos, no asterisks, no doubts. It’s a simple solution.

"Once somebody has gone through male puberty, there is no way to erase that physical advantage. You cannot simply turn back the clock, for instance by trying to lower testosterone levels."

Navratilova said she hoped the decision would lead to other sports following its lead.

Silenced transgender Montana lawmaker vows to keep fighting for constituents

Despite being silenced in Montana's legislature, Rep. Zooey Zephyr has vowed to keep fighting.

Zephyr, a Democratic lawmaker who identifies as a transgender woman, said she's confident critics have only amplified her message to those in her district and across the country despite her colleagues voting to censure her from the legislative chamber.

"There are many more eyes on Montana now," Zephyr told The Associated Press. "But you do the same thing you’ve always done. You stand up in defense of your community and you... stand for the principles that they elected you to stand for."

Zephyr is undeterred, however, and said she aims to continue doing the job she was elected to do: representing her constituents.

MONTANA REPUBLICANS CONDEMN 'HATE-FILLED' REMARKS BY TRANSGENDER REP. ZOOEY ZEPHYR: 'NOT PUBLIC SERVICE'

Zephyr, 34, was thrust into the national spotlight last week after the lawmaker criticized colleagues who supported a bill banning medical care for transitioning minors, telling them that they would have blood on their hands.

"The only thing I will say is if you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments, I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," Zephyr said when debating SB99. 

After she refused to apologize for the comments, as critics demanded, Republicans led the chamber in a 68-32 vote to bar Zephyr from being able to access the House floor. She also cannot enter the anteroom or gallery as a result of the vote.

"It’s queer people across the world and it’s also the constituents of other representatives who are saying ‘They won’t listen’ when it comes to these issues. It’s staff in this building who, when no one is looking, come up and say ‘Thank you,'" Zephyr said.

Zephyr is still allowed to vote remotely.

MONTANA TRANS LAWMAKER DECRIES MISGENDERING BY REPUBLICANS CALLING FOR CENSURE OVER BLOODY PRAYER REMARK

The censure vote was held after House Speaker Matt Regier said Zephyr’s comments violated decorum rules.

"The Montana House will not be bullied," Regier said earlier this week.

"Not only has my colleague violated decorum, but has broken the trust given by the other 99 Representatives," Montana state representative Braxton Mitchell told Fox News Digital. "The hate-filled remarks were an act of self-service, not public service."

Zephyr likened her activism and subsequent silence to an incident in Tennessee, where state lawmakers voted to expel two Black lawmakers for participating in a gun control protest after a school shooting in Nashville that killed three children and three adults.

The two lawmakers have since been reinstated.

MONTANA LAWMAKER GIVES FINAL NOD TO STATEWIDE TIKTOK BAN, SENDS MEASURE TO GOV. GIANFORTE'S DESK

"That’s exactly what I’m talking about, is when young Black men stand up and say ‘We have a gun violence problem in this country’ and you are failing to recognize it, you’re failing to take action on it," Zephyr told the Associated Press.

Zephyr, mocking her critics, said: "Your voices shouldn’t be here. We’re going to send you away."

Zephyr ultimately did not apologize but said: "When there are bills targeting the LGBTQ community, I stand up to defend my community. And I choose my words with clarity and precision and I spoke to the real harms that these bills bring."

The situation in Montana has made waves across the country as several lawmakers and others have expressed their views on social media.

"The attack in Montana on Rep. Zephyr is an attack on all of us," said Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt.

"It’s so important that we not be silent about this from state to state to state," said Hunt, who has a transgender son and who is leading a similar legislative effort to promote transition care for children in her state. "And it’s so important that people stand up against this rising movement, this radical movement, and say it is not welcome."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.