Homophobic tennis player Margaret Court thinks she deserves to be honoured and we have to laugh
(Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images)
Former tennis player Margaret Court, who is opposed to same-sex marriage, has said she wants the Australian Open to honour her for her achievements – but officials are not convinced.
Court – who won all four majors in 1970 – wants to have her achievements celebrated at next year’s Australian Open to mark the 50th anniversary of her success.
She noted that her male counterpart Rod Laver was celebrated at this year’s Open for his achievements, and said she expects similar treatment.
“They brought Rod in from America,” Court told The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. “If they think I’m just going to turn up, I don’t think that is right. I think I should be invited.
“I would hope they would pay my way to come like they paid for his and honour me. If they are not going to do that, I don’t really want to come.”
Tennis Australia did not seem enthusiastic about the idea of honouring Margaret Court.
But Tennis Australia officials seemed less than enthusiastic when quizzed on whether or not they would be recognising Court’s achievements by The Age.
The organisation said it is still “in the process of working through” how to mark the anniversary, and added: “As previously stated, Tennis Australia recognises the tennis achievements of Margaret Court. Although her views do not align with our values of equality, diversity and inclusion.”
I have nothing against gay people. I have them in my church.
Elsewhere, Court suggested that she had been victimised over her anti-gay views.
Margaret Court (Evening Standard/Getty)
“Just because I said, ‘Do you know what the Bible said about marriage?’ – I have nothing against gay people. I have them in my church, I’m going in to do a healing school this morning, people sit in there, I treat everybody equally,” she told Nine News Australia.
Court was given the accolade of ‘homophobe of the year’ in 2018.
While it is unclear as of yet whether Court will be recognised for her tennis achievements, the pastor need not worry as she was given the accolade of “homophobe of the year” in 2018.
Court won the accolade after she likened gay people to Hitler and claimed that homosexuality is an ungodly “lust for the flesh”. She also insisted that LGBT+ tendencies in young people were “all the devil”, and said that older lesbian tennis stars have “converted” younger players.
In a radio interview, she said: “Tennis is full of lesbians… when I was playing there was only a couple there, but those couple that led, that took young ones into parties and things.”
The former tennis player went on to beat 47 nominees for the most homophobic comment of the year, which was decided by a “raucous boo-off”.
