Tennis Australia: Court comments her own
Tennis Australia has responded to a social media campaign to flood Margaret Court Arena with rainbow flags during the Australian Open to protest her anti-gay views.
Releasing a statement on the Australian Open website, the organisation said that
it respected Court’s record but wanted to disassociate itself from her anti-gay comments.
“Her personal views are her own, and are definitely not shared by Tennis Australia,” the statement read.
“We believe that everyone should be treated equally and fairly. This is a fundamental right and principle, including within the world of sport.
“Anyone advocating otherwise is advocating against fundamental and essential rights.”
Tennis Australia said it did not support any view that contravenes these basic human rights.
In an interview with The Australian today, Court said she expected Australian Open organisers to prevent any protest from disrupting the tournament.
“Are they not wanting me to come to the Australian Open? Is that what they are trying to do? I don’t run from anything,” she said.
Court also claimed in the interview that she regularly converts gay people to heterosexuality at her church.
“We have them in our church. I help them to overcome. We have people who have been homosexual who are now married,” she said.
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[…] who have been homosexual who are now married” – that’s one of her statements in support of so-called conversion therapy, better known as “praying the gay away”. As others have noted, this is rather objectionable, […]
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@Michael Ryan: Not all Christians believe that. Not all Christian pastors think homosexuality is wrong. Only the nasty, hate-filled witches like her go out of their way to make other peoples lives difficult. Fortunately, most of society disagrees with her. Ignorant cow.
“We have them in our church. I help them to overcome. We have people who have been homosexual who are now married,”
Really? Just that I do pretty much the exact opposite at my local sauna…
@Michael Ryan Thats what it did do. She should keep her religious views to herself if she is not intending to convert people to her religion
When one believes and declares that a marriage, properly so called, always involves a man and a woman, one does not fail to treat gays and lesbians “equally and fairly”. As a committed Christian – a pastor in a Christian church – you would expect Margaret Court to believe that homosexual acts are objectively wrong. You would also expect her to have the traditional Christian view of the institution of marriage. That does not indicate any contravention of “basic human rights”. Tennis Australia should neither support Margaret Court’s views nor dissociate itself from them. It should concern itself with the world of tennis. Not with political, social and moral issues.
thats pretty bad, considering there are quite a few gay/lesbian tennis champions out there. Good on you “Tennis Australia”
What a silly bunt.
@ Hannibal
I don’t think the Tennis Australia is being bullied by the gay movement.
Melbourne is a gay friendly city, this means the majority of her people are not backwards thinkers. Also, the Australian Open happens to coexist with the MidSumma Festival celebrating queer culture.
It doesnt take a genius to workout that from two agendas Tennis Australia will benefit by supporting gay people.
1) if it wants to be a legitimate national international event then
it will support all types of people just like the olympics does and thus not support discrimination.
2) it will get more melbourne locals and tourists supporting the tournament.
On your point about the longevity of matches.
That is a decision based on sports science, yes men and women have different endurance thresholds that does not equate to discrimination. Babies cant drive either.
“We have them in our church. I help them to overcome. We have people who have been homosexual who are now married,” she said.
Really? I think you’ll find there are homosexual people married all over the place, not just your church Margaret. It’s attitudes like this that force people into unhealthy relationships ultimately hurting everyone involved.
I can’t help but wonder about these alleged people her church has converted. Vulnerable people being inappropriatley exploited with this pseudo-therapy? Imagine the harm caused. She is evil.
There are so many things wrong with this article. Tennis Australia: “We believe that everyone should be treated equally and fairly. This is a fundamental right and principle, including within the world of sport.”
Is that why women play 3 sets and men play 5?? Isn’t that just admitting women dont have the endurance of men and therefore are unequal??
Ofcourse what more could you expect from a organisation who’s being bullied by the gay movement.
I thought they got the witch trials over with in 1692, but it seems one was missed!
Tennis Australia should ban the trouble maker! Would they accept a person vilifying Chinese, or Jewish people in the press using their brand?
A poor Gay man was just tortured and burned to death last week. Is Tennis Australia really going to allow the brand to be used to incite hate and violence?
Margaret is treating The Australian Open as though it is her own puny cult. She is stiring people up, and using the brand of Tennis Australia, to create hate against people who simply want to watch tennis, in my view. Supporters of Tennis need action from Tennis Australia to stop this rotton egg.
What bad bloody sport!
What a douche! Quote ““We have them in our church. I help them to overcome. We have people who have been homosexual who are now married,” she said.”
Well Done Tennis Australia.
Australian will not tolerate hateful and nasty comments from anyone – even a tennis great.
I’m so glad they have come out and said what needed to be said. Now they just need to wipe her name from the court.