Homophobia has no place in tennis; time to rename Margaret Court Arena.

  • by: S
  • recipient: Craig Tiley, Australian Open Tournament Director

Margaret Court has decided to boycott Qantas Airways over their support of same sex marriage. In a statement, Court said:

"I am disappointed that Qantas has become an active promoter for same sex marriage. I believe in marriage as a union between a man and a woman as stated in the Bible. Your statement leaves me no option but to use other airlines where possible for my extensive travelling."

This comes after Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, himself an openly gay man, recently had a pie thrown in his face at a business breakfast over his signing of a joint letter in support of marriage equality along with 20 chief executives of major companies.

Ms Court's remarks are consistent with other homophobic comments she has made over the years, and in a supposedly global sport that can be played by virtually anyone, it seems extremely counterproductive to continue naming Margaret Court Arena, one of the main courts of the Australian Open (one of the 4 biggest tournaments in the tennis calendar) after somebody who so willingly, repeatedly and unapologetically will demonstrate intolerance and a lack of acceptance towards others.

In contrast, Evonne Goolagong-Cawley has been an outstanding representative for Australian tennis, as well as for Indigenous Australia and Australian sports as a whole. Surely, it would make more sense to name one of the biggest arenas in Australian tennis after a generous and inclusive individual such as Goolagong-Cawley, who herself would have had to endure her share of prejudice due to being an Indigenous Australian, than to have it named after somebody who is at a total contrast to the message of progression and acceptance being projected not just by Tennis Australia, but society as a whole.

Evonne Goolagong Arena anyone?

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