Tennis legend Billie Jean King served an ace while discussing Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law while she was in the state for the 2023 Billie Jean Cup on Friday.
The tennis star and queer icon addressed the law that forbids public schools in Florida from engaging in conversations or teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten to third grade, as well as Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis who signed the anti-LBGTQ+ Parental Rights in Education bill last March.
King began by flashing her watch, which was complete with a rainbow band.
"We must be bothering him. I have my rainbow watch on today."
She continued, expressing her feelings on the topic and a personal connection.
"I think it's sad."
"I'm very big on inclusion, everybody being their authentic self."
"If you heard my personal journey, which I thought I was straight, I realized later in life I wasn't. I had to figure out who am I, who is my authentic self."
"Going through that journey just for me personally, the important thing is to be welcoming to everyone."
King was married to her husband Larry King for 22 years before she was outed by a woman she was having an affair with.
Against the will of her lawyer and press reps, King owned the relationship, thus making her one of the only openly gay A-list athletes and subsequently making her a gay icon for many.
King continued:
"I have no control over what the governor is doing."
"He probably has gay kids in his family. He'll say he doesn't probably, but I bet he does."
"Most people have gay relatives, even if they don't know it."
People took to social media to acknowledge King's mic drop.
Paul Thomas/Facebook
Christine Saia Clarke/Facebook
Audra Riney/Facebook
King continued her speech:
"I'm about inclusion. I think you should have different people on the (school) board."
"Shouldn't just be the people like you, that look like you, think like you. I think it's important to have people who think differently. That's how you really win."
"You get great ideas from so many different sources in life."
"It's really important to be open I think to people."
Game. Set. Match.
