Australian Open to honour Court after same-sex marriage dispute

[rooster59]

Australian Open to honour Court after same-sex marriage dispute

 

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Tennis Australia have brokered a truce with Margaret Court and will recognise the 50th anniversary of her calendar Grand Slam at next year's Australian Open but reiterated the organisation disagrees with her personal views on same-sex marriage.

 

Court, who holds the all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, has not attended the Australian Open since 2017 when her opposition to same-sex marriage made her a lightning rod for criticism in the leadup to a national plebiscite on the issue.

 

However, Court said earlier this month she wanted her 1970 calendar Grand Slam to be given the same respect afforded to compatriot Rod Laver, who was feted earlier this year at Melbourne Park for his 1969 Grand Slam.

 

A calendar Grand Slam in tennis means winning Wimbledon and the Australian, U.S. and French Open titles within the same year.

 

Tennis Australia (TA) said on Saturday they would honour Court's achievement throughout the Jan. 20-Feb. 2 Australian Open, the year's opening Grand Slam tournament, with a series of events and had invited her to attend, which she had accepted.

 

"I'm looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of winning the Grand Slam with my family and friends at the Australian Open," Court said in a Tennis Australia statement on Saturday.

 

"This is an incredible milestone for me, and I can't quite believe how quickly the time has gone. It's always wonderful to catch up with my fellow legends and I'm grateful to Tennis Australia."

 

In women's tennis, only Court, Maureen Connolly (1953) and Steffi Graf (1988) have managed the calendar Grand Slam, widely considered the game's toughest achievement.

 

Laver, who completed the achievement twice in 1962 and 1969, is the only man after Don Budge (1938) to have managed it.

 

Australia legalised same-sex marriage in December 2017 after 61.6% of respondents to a voluntary plebiscite voted for it.

 

Court, a Christian pastor at a Perth-based church she set up decades ago, has long been vocal about her opposition to it, a stance that has alienated gay players, past and present.

 

"As often stated, Tennis Australia does not agree with Margaret's personal views, which have demeaned and hurt many in our community over a number of years," TA said in the statement.

 

"They do not align with our values of equality, diversity and inclusion.

 

"Our sport welcomes everyone, no matter what gender, ability, race, religion or sexuality, and we will continue to actively promote inclusion initiatives widely at all levels of the sport."

 

(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-01

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[Krataiboy]

Can't wait to see Margaret Court's reaction when a trans woman walks off with the Australian Open!

 

The way things is going, it's not a matter of if, just when.

 

 

[jesimps]

2 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Can't wait to see Margaret Court's reaction when a trans woman walks off with the Australian Open!

 

The way things is going, it's not a matter of if, just when.

 

 

Maybe, but you'll never convince me (or her) that it's fair.

[Andrew65]

3 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Can't wait to see Margaret Court's reaction when a trans woman walks off with the Australian Open!

 

The way things is going, it's not a matter of if, just when.

 

 

How about the mixed-mixed doubles also!?????

 

Sport presents a problem where equality's concerned in that it's one of very few areas of life where segregation by gender is tolerated, and is basically part of the system.

Edited December 1, 2019 by Andrew65

[oxonbry]

So they should, 24 grand slams , I bet the whingers couldn't rake up that number between them.

[Krataiboy]

5 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

How about the mixed-mixed doubles also!?????

 

Sport presents a problem where equality's concerned in that it's one of very few areas of life where segregation by gender is tolerated, and is basically part of the system.

Biological males who identify as the opposite sex should be allowed to compete only against men in tennis and all other sports.

 

Why? John McEnroe explained the obvious when he said a women's tennis champion probably wouldn't make the top 700 of a men's tour. 

 

Predictably, he was roasted for his comments. Yet subsequent events are proving him right as more second-rate male athletes become overnight stars in a range of women's sports simply by switching genders.

 

As this unwelcome situation continues, the career prospects for aspiring female athletes look increasing bleak.

 

It clearly  has nothing at all to do with "equality", and everything to do with mindles virtue signalling by sports administrators marinaded in political correctness.

 

Can't wait for the next Olympics!

 

 

Edited December 1, 2019 by Krataiboy

[Andrew65]

10 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Biological males who identify as the opposite sex should be allowed to compete only against men in tennis and all other sports.

 

Why? John McEnroe explained the obvious when he said a women's tennis champion probably wouldn't make the top 700 of a men's tour. 

 

Predictably, he was roasted for his comments. Yet subsequent events are proving him right as more second-rate male athletes become overnight stars in a range of women's sports simply by switching genders.

 

As this unwelcome situation continues, the career prospects for aspiring female athletes look increasing bleak.

 

It clearly  has nothing at all to do with "equality", and everything to do with mindles virtue signalling by sports administrators marinaded in political correctness.

 

Can't wait for the next Olympics!

 

 

Agreed. But what for me is thrown up by all this is the fact that if there were true equality in sport, as there supposedly is in every other area of life (in the West), then this wouldn't be an issue.

 

Selective equality, until women are happy to compete on equal terms with men in sport, their claims to want "equality" falls on deaf ears, for me.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Andrew65

[RJRS1301]

I would like to see all those opposed to her views, leave the stadium when she enters it watch a match.

Will not happen, but the views held by her are not consistent with Australia's contemporary laws or with Tennis Australia code of practice.

She has stated she will not fly QANTAS because of the companies support for equality, hope Virgin refuse to carry her, all the flights she wants of course will be booked out with any luck.

 

 

[Andrew65]

2 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

I would like to see all those opposed to her views, leave the stadium when she enters it watch a match.

Will not happen, but the views held by her are not consistent with Australia's contemporary laws or with Tennis Australia code of practice.

She has stated she will not fly QANTAS because of the companies support for equality, hope Virgin refuse to carry her, all the flights she wants of course will be booked out with any luck.

 

 

As I stated in my previous comment "equality" is selective, a special case is made for sport, where discrimination by gender is part of the system, and fully accepted.

[Andrew65]

It just means that there's now mixed-singles as well as mixed-doubles?!????

Edited December 2, 2019 by Andrew65

[StreetCowboy]

I think it’s great that Australian tennis has accepted that they cannot dictate what opinions a person may hold. I can understand that an employer might require their employees not to publicly disagree with their position on these matters, but tennis players are not employed by their association.   

[BritManToo]

On 12/1/2019 at 11:50 PM, Krataiboy said:

As this unwelcome situation continues, the career prospects for aspiring female athletes look increasing bleak.

Good!

Women have grabbed all the decent commentating sports jobs, while retired sportsmen are edged out.

Time the men got to strike back, even if they need to wear a skirt to do it.

Edited December 8, 2019 by BritManToo