Margaret Court's legacy is about more than opinions

There’s no correct way to honour a sportsperson. Margaret Court can say whatever she likes but her legacy will be altered by her decision to be a spokesperson for the hateful ideology of fundamentalist Christianity. If she was concerned about what people might think of her she could always shut up. But if she’s going to keep voicing her opinion it’s inevitable she will cop plenty back. Strangely enough most Australians think it’s entirely unreasonable to tell gay people they’re going to hell and accuse them of sex crimes on no evidence whatsoever beyond her own prejudice. I think she’s an appalling old piece of baggage and personally can’t wait till she dies. Good riddance. Then we can change the name without any complaints. But that’s just my opinion of her.

"Mate there’s plenty of other ways homophobia can manifest aside from murder. Pat yourself on the back cos you don’t want to murder your gay friend but don’t kid yourself that throwing someone off a building is the only way someone can demonstrate homophobia. " Love it. Great reply to someone who seems particularly clueless on this subject.

No-one deserves to be bullied or have their lifestyle trashed by Margaret Court either.

Margaret Court is arguably the greatest tennis player, male or female, to ever have played the game. 64 Major titles including , a Grand Slam and 11 Australian Open singles titles says it all in terms of her achievements on the court.Even more importantly she has conducted herself, both on and off the court and both during and after her tennis career, with impeccable sportsmanship, grace, humility and dignity. She has also made an amazing contribution to junior tennis and it is impossible to think of any one who is a better role model, in life or in tennis for either a modern champion or casual weekend player. As a Minister of the Church she has been faithful to her calling and expressed views about the sanctity of marriage and the family and the practice of homosexuality as her conscience has dictated, and as she is perfectly entitled to do in a country founded on the fundamental human rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion, regardless of whether anyone disagrees or finds offence in what she speaks. If there is any sportsman or woman alive who can legitimately be entitled to be treated with the utmost admiration respect and courtesy by players, spectators, administrators of the game or the public in general, it is Margaret Smith Court. Rob, Melbourne and Olympic Park is not owned by a private company- it is on Crown Land and administered on behalf of the community by the 12 members of the Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust , a Statutory Authority whose members are appointed for the most part (9) by the Victorian Minister for Sport and also by the LTAA and VTA. Accordingly members of the sporting and general public have every right to express an opinion about the conduct and attitudes of its administrators including the naming of their major tennis arenas. Mrs Court does not however deserve to have been bullied or her name trashed by anyone. She should be the first person invited to the Open every year and at the expense of the Trust and be front and centre in the promotion of the game in Australia. If she was we would be producing more genuine champions of her calibre and less of the overpaid, non-achieving brats who currently carry Australia's tennis reputation and status with them around the world. It speaks volumes about Modern Australia that she did not consider it appropriate to attend this Open and that Billie Jean King- brash, self-opinionated. politically correct and American- who never equalled Margaret's achievements, either on or off the Court was appointed to present the Trophy last night, even when another fine Australian tennis champion, Yvonne Cawley, was at the game and surely should have been granted the honour above her.

Not quite sure what the issue is here. Are you upset that Margaret Court Arena might be renamed, or are you upset that Margaret Court was the subject of abuse? Thing is, neither of those has anything to do with free speech. The people who own Melbourne Park have the right to name their arenas whatever they please. It's their property, their branding. If they were to rename MCA to something else, that's 100% their prerogative to do so. It's not about punishment or reward, it's simply a business decision; 'do I care that a person associated with my brand is expressing X opinion?'. If the answer is yes, then maybe they rebrand. But that's up to the owners. As to Margaret Court being the subject of abuse, I agree that it's disappointing that people can't discuss things politely, but the same applies to her doesn't it? Well, she used her free speech to insult and diminish gay people. So as far as I can see, what went around came around. If she's gonna dish it out, maybe she should also be prepared to receive it.

Mate there's plenty of other ways homophobia can manifest aside from murder. Pat yourself on the back cos you don't want to murder your gay friend but don't kid yourself that throwing someone off a building is the only way someone can demonstrate homophobia. That's extreme no doubt but there happens to be a spectrum here. Understand too that I'm not accusing you of homophobia for that particular comment, I'm highlighting the lunacy of that argument that you're not homophobic cos you don't want to kill your mate. However, having said all that, the fact that you think gay people should be treated differently under the law, from the rest of us? I'm sorry to respectfully inform you but that is actually a form of homophobia. Now remember, I'm not silencing you, I'm not being intolerant of your views. You're very welcome to your views. I happen to disagree with you and no doubt you would agree I'm very welcome to do that. In addition to that, I'm respectfully pointing out the matter of fact about your views. You might not like being called homophobic, since you have a gay friend and all, and that's OK by me. I don't have too much invested in this. But it's a simple fact that if you wish for a certain group of people to be treated differently under the law, because of something they can't change, then that's discriminatory and in this case it's homophobic. If that upsets you, that I would label you as such, that's OK. I'm sure you'll get over it and I don't really care what you think. But just as the sun comes up in the morning, despite being a infinitely less extreme than a desire to murder (to the extent that it is absurd that you even raised that in this discussion), a view that grants gay people fewer rights than the rest of us, whether yours or Margaret Court's, is homophobic. That's the definition.

Benjamin - I suggest that you go on Youtube and watch an interview Jordan Peterson and Cathy Newman - you would find it a fascinating example to support your view

That quote about the Devil has been refuted - it is fake news. Not sure about the other quotes but I get your point. Another concern is the furore over Sandgrens political views and an article in the Australian by Patrick Smith claiming that Sharapova does not mix with the other women on the tour - who cares.

Go and read her comments on Casey Dellacqua's family and get back to me. If you don't agree with gay marriage, that's one thing, but publicly criticizing someone's family in the manner Court did is utterly disgraceful. She deserves whatever criticism comes her way.

ok, for starters The 74-year-old Christian pastor told listeners that accepting homosexuality would lead young people to "destroy their lives", claiming that US figures showed that homosexuality was caused by sexual molestation and emotional abuse in a majority of cases. "The statistics are very, very wrong but they want us to think they’ve got the majority," she said. "And we know, everybody knows that it is wrong, but they’re after our young ones, that’s what they’re after." "That’s all the devil, we’ll say that it’s the devil," she said. "That’s what Hitler did and that’s what communism did, got the minds of the children. And it’s a whole plot in our nation and in the nations of the world to get the minds of the children." Court also described Australia's firmly secular constitution as "biblical". you also did an excellent job of avoiding my point. how is Court being silenced? you said in your answer she has a platform.

How are her views extremist? Many people share her opinions but don't have the platform to be heard. Good on Margaret for standing up for what she believes in.

Are you are saying that people are not free to criticise the extremist views of Court? I would like to know how in any way she has been silenced? I would say she has a large megaphone to let the public know her thoughts

who has silenced Margaret Court? no one. She is still free to speak as much as she wants. Also people are free to criticise her comments. Her comments are pretty bad, she is just not anti gay marriage. she has incorrectly desrbed Australia as a christian country with a constitution based on the bible, she has compared homosexuals to Hitler and using mind control to convert children, and that the devil are after our kids and that tennis lesbians are trying to convert young players

I totally agree with you. In fact, I reckon I could find something wrong with everyone they have ever put a statue up to or named a stand after. Shane Warne, Wally Lewis, Don Bradman, Captain Cook, Winston Churchill, All flawed human beings, OK, maybe not Wally Lewis but everyone else. Leave the Margaret Court Arena alone..