Tennis greats blast Court
Tennis champions Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova have slammed anti-gay comments by Australian tennis legend Margaret Court, who last week condemned the push for marriage equality, saying she wanted to 鈥減rotect families鈥�.
“Seems to me a l
ot of people have evolved as has the Bible, unfortunately Margaret Court has not,” Navratilova told
“Her myopic view is truly frightening as well as damaging to the thousands of children already living in same gender families.鈥�
Court, who is the founder and senior pastor at Victory Life Church in Perth, has urged Australians to make a stand against same-sex marriage, saying no human law could ever change God鈥檚 divine laws.
鈥淧olitically correct education has masterfully escorted homosexuality out from behind closed doors, into the community openly and now is aggressively demanding marriage rights that are not theirs to take,鈥� she told last week.
Court said society was best served by strong family units that comprised a mum, dad and children and that there was no reason to put forward 鈥渁lternative, unhealthy, unnatural unions鈥� as a substitute. said.
鈥淭o dismantle this sole definition of marriage and try to legitimise what God calls abominable sexual practices that include sodomy, reveals our ignorance as to the ills that come when society is forced to accept law that violates their very own God-given nature of what is right and what is wrong.鈥�
Openly gay US tennis champion Billie Jean King said she disagreed with Court’s position.
鈥淭he more we talk openly about issues like gay marriage, the more we learn about each other,鈥� King said.
鈥淚t is a blessing the people of Australia can live freely and express their own opinions because we need open dialogue to help us move forward.
鈥淲e have to commit to eliminating homophobia because everyone is entitled to the same rights, opportunities and protection.鈥�
Court has had a history of anti-gay comments, accusing lesbians of ruining women鈥檚 tennis and calling Navratilova a bad example to young players.
In 2002 she said Damir Dokic鈥檚 concern about daughter Jelena being exposed to lesbians on the circuit was 鈥渦nderstandable鈥� and campaiged against Western Australian laws that gave gay couples equal legal rights as de facto couples.
鈥淚 have tried to talk to Margaret, but to say she鈥檚 completely close-minded on the issue is an understatement,鈥� Navratilova said.
鈥淗ere is hoping Australia will be on the right side of history and human rights, and become yet another democracy granting equal rights to all her citizens.鈥�
Court turned to Christianity in 1972, and has long claimed that homosexuality is a choice, reiterating her stance last week.
鈥淭he fact that the homosexual cry is, 鈥榃e can鈥檛 help it as we were born this way鈥�, as the cause behind their own personal choice is cause for concern,鈥� she said.
鈥淓very action begins with a thought. There is a choice to be made.鈥�
Australian doubles great Rennae Stubbs, who came out publicly in 2006, said Court’s word carried an added sting for her.
“As a young Australian tennis player, I aspired to be like Margaret Court,” Stubbs said.
“This is why it has been very difficult to understand her words of hate directed towards homosexuals.
“It is unfortunate that someone with her stature has chosen to propagate discrimination and I disagree with her comments wholeheartedly.”
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A footnote to Dr John: the bible is “immutable”!? Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Which version?
To the so-called ‘Dr John’ and other christians against homosexuality: if God hates homosexuality so much just why then did It invent it? For homosexual-behaviour, of many different kinds, is found in Nature after all, and in many species, not just in human-beings (Sonoron skinks, several species of fish who reproduce asexually, and Bonobos, to name just three species off the top of my head). The very fact that it is found in abundance in Nature means it is natural, and there is nothing “unnatural” about it … just the way God intended, I assume. I think God loves unending, limitless variety in all things ~ ’cause that’s what It created … and the bible (what I like to call the “buy-bull”) doesn’t have much to do with It.
You don’t choose homosexuality, but you do choose religion. Enjoy Heaven, Margaret Court. I hear it’s lovely this time of year.
And going about the ratings on all the comments on this page, it seems the anti-gay bigots like to spend a lot of time on a GAY website. Why is that? In the closet are we?