Human rights and sports 'a perfect fit'
Tennis legend and gender equality activist Billie Jean King has had a stellar career in sports, identifying the boundaries that divide people and tearing them down. She was the first woman athlete to win over $100,000 in prize money in 1971 and, 10 years later, the first professional athlete to be “outed” as gay. She remains a steadfast supporter of issues at the heart of the United Nations – fair play, tolerance and building “a world where we are all united; no borders.”
Indeed, despite the hurdles that she encountered on and off the court, the idea of social inclusion has always formed the core of Ms. King's personal and professional philosophy – a philosophy that brings sports and human rights issues together in an effort to harmonies understanding. The more we get to know each other, she says, the better chance the world has for peace.
In an interview on the commemoration of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (6 April), held at UN Headquarters in New York, Ms. King, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights icon, told that human rights and sports are, in fact, “a perfect fit” for each other.
“The great thing about sports is that it really has no borders. It's a way to connect with others from other cultures. It's a way to develop,” she explained. “And it gives me a chance to have a platform; to speak out on what I feel is the right thing, about human rights.”
For Billie Jean King, women and girls had always been invisible, side-lined and underserved to the benefit of their male equals who, even in schools and at a young age, were always placed “up front and centre.” “Even at school, for instance, in the classroom, the teachers would always call on the boys. They just would,” she recalled. “So at a very young age I had an epiphany that I would spend the rest of my life fighting for equal rights and opportunities for everybody: men and women, boys and girls. And I knew that because of tennis I had a platform and I was one of the lucky ones.”
Ms. King declared. “The UN is such a great influencer. The whole world is connected to it. The most important thing it does is bring people together – it allows for dialogue, for thinking how we can develop for the future, and how we can bring about peace.”
Compiled by Law Desk.
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