Dellacqua: Anti-gay stance hits home
Legendary Court’s remarks out of line, Aussie player says
“I’m very conscious of the fact that everyone is allowed their opinion, but when you start singling out my family especially, that’s when it’s not OK.” Australian tennis player Casey Dellacqua, on Margaret Court’s anti-gay comments
Australian tennis player Casey Dellacqua responded Wednesday to Margaret Court’s anti-gay comments directed at her family, saying Court — the Grand Slam tournament title recordholder with 24 wins — is far out of line.
Dellacqua, who tweeted “enough is enough” last week in reference to Court’s continued remarks, has two children with partner Amanda Judd. After the birth of the couple’s son in 2013, Court wrote a public letter arguing that a same-sex family left their child “deprived of his father.”
Most recently, Court said on a Christian radio station that “tennis is full of lesbians.”
“I’m very conscious of the fact that everyone is allowed their opinion, but when you start singling out my family especially, that’s when it’s not OK. And my family do not deserve to be sub- ject to that,” Dellacqua said at the French Open. “(Court) can have her opinion, but my family does not deserve that and did not deserve that. That’s when I thought, you know what, it’s time to speak up.”
Dellacqua said she felt compelled to speak out the more Court, who has been a critic of homosexuality for decades, lashed out at gay marriage in recent months. Court, 74, who is a pastor, also said in the radio interview that homosexuality was “a whole plot in our nation and in the nations of the world to get in the minds of the children.” In a letter published in The West Australian newspaper, Court wrote that she would stop flying on Qantas where possible because the Australian airline “has become an active promoter for same-sex marriage.”
No. 1-ranked Andy Murray of Britain said of Court’s opposition to gay marriage on Tuesday, “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.”
As a result of Court’s remarks, several top players have proposed stripping the Australian Open court’s name — Margaret Court Arena — from the stadium at Melbourne Park. Or perhaps boycotting where the Australian Open is played next year.
Madison Keys, an American player, backed the idea and said she disagreed “100%” with Court’s comments.
“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,” Keys said after her win Tuesday.
“It’s like, ‘Why can’t we just be nice to each other?’ ”