Margaret Court told a radio station tennis is full of lesbians. Photo / AP
Margaret Court told a radio station tennis is full of lesbians. Photo / AP
Martina Navratilova has written an emotional open letter to the arena named after Margaret Court in the wake of Court's recent comments about homosexuality.
There were calls for Melbourne Park's Margaret Court Arena to have its name changed after the 74-year-old said she will refuse to fly Qantas due to CEO Alan Joyce's backing of marriage equality.
"I believe in marriage as a union between a man and a woman as stated in the Bible," Court said in a letter to The West Australian newspaper earlier this week.
She then followed those remarks up by telling a Christian radio station on Wednesday "tennis is full of lesbians" and transgender children are influenced by the devil and manipulated in a way that was evident in Nazi Germany.
Navratilova - an openly gay woman who won 18 grand slam singles titles - was one of those calling for Court's stadium to be renamed.
In her open letter, published by Fairfax Media, Navratilova says Court is entitled to free speech but that doesn't mean her words are free of consequence.
She also said Court's views on linking the LGBTI community to Nazism were "sick and dangerous", and questioned how many kids will suffer, even die, because of the type of intolerance spouted by the former tennis champion.
"It is now clear exactly who Court is: an amazing tennis player, and a racist and a homophobe. Her vitriol is not just an opinion. She is actively trying to keep LGBT people from getting equal rights (note to Court: we are human beings, too). She is demonising trans kids and trans adults everywhere," Navratilova wrote.
Martina Navratilova questioned how many kids will suffer because of the type of intolerance spouted Court. Photo / File
"And now, linking LGBT to Nazis, communists, the devil? This is not OK. This is in fact sick and it is dangerous. Kids will suffer more because of this continuous bashing and stigmatising of our LGBT community.
"How much blood will be on Margaret's hands because kids will continue to get beaten for being different? This is not OK. Too many will die by suicide because of this kind of intolerance, this kind of bashing and yes, this kind of bullying. This is not OK."
Navratilova also slammed Court's "ridiculous comments about older women luring young girls on the tour to parties to turn them into lesbians".
In 1990, Court accused Navratilova of being a poor role model because she was gay.
"(Navratilova) is a great player, but I'd like to see somebody at the top to whom the younger players can look up to," Court said nearly three decades ago. "It is very sad for children to be exposed to (homosexuality).
"Martina is a nice person. Her life has just gone astray."
Navratilova says she has forgiven Court for those comments, but cannot sit back and let her get away with her latest criticisms, calling for her stadium to be named after another Australian tennis great, Evonne Goolagong.
