The Erosion Of Homophobia
When people talk about the greatest professional athletes of all-time, rarely do we hear the name of tennis legend Margaret Court. It’s easy to see why. Tennis doesn’t enjoy the widespread popularity of baseball, football, or basketball, and female athletes always play second fiddle to their male counterparts. But she deserves recognition as one of the most dominant in any sport: Although she retired in 1977, Court still has the most Grand Slam wins for both women and men, and holds a slew of other records that may never be broken.
Court will receive some appreciation at this year’s Australian Open. She will be honored by Tennis Australia, the sport’s governing body for that continent, for her achieving the coveted Grand Slam in 1970 (For non-tennis fans, that means she won all four major tournaments - the Australian Open, the U.S Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon - in the same year.)
But apparently the career path that leads to fame and fortune does not keep one out of the swamp of ignorance. In 1990, Court said Martina Navratilova was “a great player, but I'd like someone at the top who the younger players can look up to. It's very sad for children to be exposed to homosexuality".
Then in 2017, Court wrote a letter to an Australian newspaper stating she would boycott Qantas Airlines because the company promotes same-sex marriage. Not one for hiding how she really feels, Court went on to say that tennis was "full of lesbians", and that the teaching of LGBT rights is "of the devil".
On most days, the decent and kind among our species wouldn’t give Court’s medieval beliefs a lot of attention. Shocking for a moment but nothing new here - another close-minded individual demeaning people simply for who they are and who they love.
The question is why Tennis Australia would want to honor her. On the surface it makes sense. In the organization’s letter addressing the event they say, “Australia is fortunate that Margaret Court’s extraordinary playing achievements form part of our national tennis history.”
But the perspective shifts a few paragraphs later: “We believe any public figure has a big responsibility to ensure their views are expressed in a way that demonstrates respect and tolerance, and does not cause harm to, or degrade others. As a sport, tennis is unwavering in playing our part to ensure an inclusive society. We cannot condone views that fracture our incredible tennis community, nor indeed, the wider community."
Obviously, there were too many PR cooks in the kitchen when crafting that letter. If you claim you can’t condone views that fracture the wider community, how can you celebrate someone whose views actually fracture the wider community? And why recognize a woman who currently spends her days preaching against the very “inclusive society” you supposedly want to ensure?
Why? Because Tennis Australia is part of the multi-billion dollar sports industry, where politics and money often outweigh the ethical and moral ramifications of major decisions. Anything for a buck, right?
Then again, it’s not entirely about the bottom line. To have a ceremony for Court is a tacit endorsement of her prejudice. This is like a film school honoring Harvey Weinstein for his movie-producing prowess, but announcing that they cannot condone rape and violence against women.
That said, there is a glimmer of progress shining through the clouds of Court’s homophobia. Tennis Australia, by saying they are merely “recognizing” and not “celebrating” Court, shows how the powers that be are shivering in their shoes. This type of semantic game is only played by organizations and people afraid of revealing their true intentions and beliefs, which in itself is another victory for those who care about equality and justice.
They’re frightened because the wins against homophobes keep piling up. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the U.S to legalize same sex marriage, and 11 years later the Supreme Court made it the law of the land. As of 2019, 29 other countries have done the same.
More significantly, we now elect politicians, follow personalities on our devices, hire CEOs, and cheer for athletes who all just happen to be part of the LGBTQ community. “Happen to be” because, first and foremost, they are human beings, not labels. It’s a beautiful thing that more people have not just become accepting, we’re embracing those of all lifestyles with open hearts.
The mentality of the homophobe is like a cockroach: Ugly and impossible to fully eliminate. Unfortunate, yes, but their numbers are dwindling, their influence eroding. Now that’s something worth celebrating.