Less than a week after Australian tennis champion turned preacher Margaret Court threatened to boycott Qantas airlines because its CEO supports same-sex marriage, she gave an interview to Vision Christian radio station in which she spewed a whole mess of other homophobic and transphobic shit including the claims that “tennis is full of lesbians” and transgender children are the work of “the devil,” and, confusingly, a comparison between gender identity and the work of ... Adolf Hitler.
Here’s Court:
“Tennis is full of lesbians. Even when I was playing there were only a couple there but those couple that led took young ones into parties. And what you get at the top is often what you’ll get right through that sport.”
She had some theories on the LGBTQ community and marriage equality:
“We know that homosexuality is a lust of the flesh, so is adultery, fornication, all those things … they too know this, this is why they want marriage, because it’s self-satisfying. I think they know it comes against Christianity, the beliefs of God, but in some way it’s justifying.”
She was about “confusing” the children:
“The gay lobby is behind that bullying program in schools and children not knowing, whether they are taking out a ‘he’ or a ‘she’ and an ‘it’ and a ‘we’ or ‘they’ and if you feel like being a girl you can dress like a girl. I think, ‘what confusion for a child,’ I get confused talking about it. ... There is a whole plot in our nation and in the nations of the world today to get the minds of the children.”
She went straight to Hitler:
“Your thoughts — even medically they’re knowing now — the mind is a battlefield and that’s why I wrote that book Train Your Brain because the mind is, it’s all in the Bible.
“God’s got so much in there about the mind how it affects us, affects our emotions, our feelings, you can think ‘oh I’m a boy’ and it’ll affect your emotions and feelings, and everything else and so that’s all the Devil.
“That’s what Hitler did, that’s what Communism did — got the mind of the children. And it’s a whole plot in our nation and in the nations of the world to get the minds of the children.”
Court also said that threatening to strip her name from Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne Park, where the Australian Open is held, is wrong, because she “deserves” to have her name on the stadium. Former tennis champs Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, both of whom are openly gay, have called for her name to be removed. Court said:
“I think it’s bullying. [I’ve got] nothing against homosexuals–as individuals, they can do what they want to do–but my belief as a Christian is marriage the Bible way and I think it’s sad that these people are using that to try to hit below the belt.”
Players at the French Open have been asked about Court’s retrograde nonsense and the potential name change. According to the Associated Press, world No. 1 Andy Murray said:
“I don’t see why anyone has a problem with two people who love each other getting married. If it’s two men, two women, that’s great. I don’t see why it should matter. It’s not anyone else’s business. Everyone should have, in my opinion ... the same rights.”
Australian player Thanasi Kokkinakis said:
“Obviously, she’s a legend of the sport for Australia. But I don’t agree with what she said. I don’t have much of an option on the arena, but I know it’s a great court.”
Fellow Australian player Nick Kyrgios said, per Ben Rothenberg:
“I kind of saw a little bit. I don’t think I know enough about it. I didn’t read anything she said. I saw it was a bit of a mix up. I didn’t really read it. I mean, I have no problem with gay marriage at all. I mean, that’s where I stand.”
French Open defending champion Garbine Muguruza was asked about Court’s comments and had this to say, per BBC:
“Quite honestly, I really don’t give a damn what she says.”
Australian grand slam winner Sam Stosur hinted some players might even refuse to play on the court. From the AP:
“I think everyone can have their opinion. I don’t agree with it. But I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we all get down to the Australian Open next year — and who wants to play on Margaret Court Arena and who doesn’t. And we’ll go from there.”
American Madison Keys said she disagreed “100 percent” with Court. From the AP:
“I kind of agree with maybe having the (Australian Open stadium’s) name changed and all of that. If that comes up, I’m sure there’s many people who would be for that.”
Rothenberg also noted that Canadian Genie Bouchard refused to comment on Court’s homophobia, saying “I mean, I’d rather not get involved in that. No comment.”