Being gay result of child abuse, says ‘living treasure’ Court

With the Australian Open grand slam coming to a close for another year, fallout over the widely reported anti-gay views of one of the sport’s former champions, Margaret Court, has continued with the multiple grand slam winner turned evangelical pastor creating further furore yesterday after claiming that being gay for many people was the result of child abuse.

Court’s latest comments come after a petition was launched urging Tennis Australia to commit to anti-homophobia programs, while the National Trust of Australia has been criticised by some for deciding to include the controversial tennis legend on a shortlist of 100 Australians to be voted on as national living treasures.

Speaking to the Sunday Herald Sun, Court (pictured) claimed that she knew “many, many” gay and lesbian people whose sexual orientation was the result of child abuse.  

“You look at a lot of them, that’s happened,” she said.

Only last week, Court, 70, had used an op-ed in the Herald Sun to seemingly argue that gay and lesbian people were to blame for the country’s apparent “steep moral decline”.

A number of leading figures within the LGBTI community such as SBS newsreader Anton Enus and activist Carl Katter, as well as politicians, mental health professionals and even celebrities, like singer Ricki-Lee Coulter, have all since blasted Court for her misleading and dangerous comments.

“As someone who is lucky enough to everyday be surrounded by and supported in my career by gay men and women - I find this disgusting and ignorant,” the singer said.

Court has also been criticised by a number of current and former Christian church leaders over her faulty grasp on theology, with Gosford Anglican Parish rector, Father Rod Bower, telling SX that the tennis great had made a “a number of unsubstantiated statements” in recent weeks.

“Ms Court seems to be oblivious of any scientific research that would indicate that homosexual orientation is in any way genetically influenced,” Bower said.

“Sadly there are still a minority of people who will be influenced by Ms Court’s article as poor theological argument is usually easier absorbed than the complexities of the deeper spiritual life. It saddens me that some people may read her statements and reject the spiritual life because they justifiably find her views simplistic and offensive.”

In response to Court’s continued attacks on the gay and lesbian community, a petition hosted on Change.org has been set up by Queensland-based gay activist James Newburrie asking Tennis Australia to officially commit to anti-homophobia programs such as ‘Fair Go, Sport!’ run by the Victorian Anti-Discrimination Commission.

“We ask Tennis Australia to protect the integrity of tennis as a place where the values of sportsmanship, fairness and inclusiveness are paramount,” the petition reads.

Meanwhile, the National Trust has been criticised for placing Court on a shortlist of 100 Australians to include on its latest list of national living treasures following the death of artist Margaret Olley last year.

In collaboration with Woman’s Day magazine, the National Trust is running a vote for seven vacancies in the current list, which was first published in 1997 and last updated in 2007.

Brisbane-based psychologist, Paul Martin, who has over 25 years experience dealing with LGBTI-related mental health concerns, told SX that he had written “a strongly worded letter” to the National Trust asking them to reconsider the appropriateness of Court’s nomination.

“Whilst her sporting accomplishments are something all of us can be proud of, the fact that she is potentially causing so much psychological distress for so many vulnerable Australians is something I think the National Trust should not be associated with,” Martin said.

Current national living treasures include the likes of former High Court justice Michael Kirby and Greens leader Bob Brown.

After being contacted by SX, the National Trust late this afternoon released a media statement stating that possible candidates recently put forward were “intended only to start a conversation”.

“Many of the Treasures have at times articulated personal views on a range of controversial topics. These personal views are not endorsed or do not necessarily represent the views of our organisation,” the statement reads.

“We are a not‐for‐profit charity that believes in national unity, while advocating for conservation issues.”