"It took me a long time to recover emotionally, psychotherapy helped me"- Billie Jean King on her decision to come out as gay in 1981
For more than 20 years, Billie Jean King dominated the world of tennis. She won a staggering 39 Grand Slam titles and was the World No. 1 in three spells (1966 to 1968, 1971 to 1972, and 1974), making her one of the sport's most decorated players.
Billie Jean King was a major pioneer in furthering the cause of gender equality and founded the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) in 1973.
In 1981, King became the first prominent female athlete to come out as gay, which saw her lose all her sponsors overnight.
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Speaking on the French TV show C à vous, the 78-year-old King said that she went through a "very difficult" period following that announcement.
“It was a very difficult time and it took me a long time to recover emotionally. We’re talking about mental health all the time now, it’s good. Psychotherapy helped me, probably the most. Thank you to all the therapists out there,” King said.
King added that times have changed for the better since 1981, and players who come out as gay these days do not face such struggles.
“I told the truth. This would not happen today, of course. You can come out today, and you are congratulated, there is a president who shakes your hand,” said King.
"J'ai révélé mon homosexualité et... j'ai perdu tous mes sponsors, du jour au lendemain !"
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King married Ilana Kloss in 2018, and the two have been strong advocates for the LGBTQ community.
In a commencement address at Vermont’s Middlebury College on Tuesday, Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay athlete, praised tennis stars King and Martina Navratilova for coming out much earlier "in the bright spotlight of the sports world."
Billie Jean King to be awarded the French Legion d'honneur
For her contributions to the sport and to women's and LGBT+ rights, Billie Jean King is set to be awarded the Legion d'honneur, the highest French order of merit, on Friday. She will receive the award from French President Emmanuel Macron in a ceremony at the Elysee Palace.
King will also be honoured at the French Open on Thursday to celebrate the completion of 50 years since her first title in Paris. She defeated Evonne Goolagong in 1972 to win her maiden Roland Garros title.
The ceremony will pay tribute to both her stellar playing career as well as her actions off-court in promoting women’s and LGBT+ rights.