Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King (b. Nov. 22, 1943) is an American former World No. 1 professional tennis player. King won 39 Grand Slam titles, including 12 singles, 16 women’s doubles, and 11 mixed doubles titles. King won the singles title at the inaugural WTA Tour Championships. King often represented the United States in the Federation Cup and the Wightman Cup. She was a member of the victorious United States team in seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups. For three years, King was the United States’ captain in the Federation Cup.

King was “outed” in 1981 when her former partner and secretary, Marilyn Barnett filed a “palimony” lawsuit, making King the first prominent professional female athlete to come out as a lesbian. King now lives with her partner of more than 30 years, Ilana Kloss. [ Wikipedia ]

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Billie Jean King: Caitlyn Jenner helps transgender visibility, acceptance

Friday, June 5, 2015

Billie Jean King believes Caitlyn Jenner has given people clarity about transgender issues beyond the progress already seen four decades after they shared the international spotlight as athletes.

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Billie Jean King talks tennis, LGBT athletes, keys to a successful career

Saturday, September 6, 2014

NEW YORK -- Billie Jean King is so busy attending events during the U.S. Open, she hardly has time to watch matches at the venue that bears her name. However, King still has plenty of opinions…

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Billie Jean King talks Sochi Olympics, LGBT rights, openly gay athletes

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Billie Jean King's taxi ride home after the Sochi Olympics included a revelation. She had just returned from a whirlwind three days at the Sochi Games, part of the U.S. delegation for the closing ceremony chosen…

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Billie Jean King to attend Olympics’ closing ceremony in Sochi

Saturday, February 15, 2014

WASHINGTON -- Billie Jean King will attend the closing ceremony of the Sochi Olympics in Russia as part of President Barack Obama's official U.S. delegation.

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Billie Jean King won’t attend Sochi opening due to family illness

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

NEW YORK -- Billie Jean King will not attend Friday's opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics in Russia because her mother is ill.

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Billie Jean King part of diplomacy by diversity: ‘We reflect part of America’

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Billie Jean King believes standing up to discrimination is the best way to combat it, so she had no hesitation joining the U.S. delegation for the Sochi Olympics.

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Obama to skip Olympic games, selects gay athletes for Sochi delegation

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama sent Russia a clear message about its treatment of gays and lesbians with who he is - and isn't - sending to represent the United States at the Sochi Olympics.

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Billie Jean King reflects on being a gay, professional athlete in the 1970s

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Billie Jean King said Tuesday that she couldn't have revealed herself as being gay in the 1970s because it would have damaged the fledgling women's professional tennis tour.

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National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame honors athletes

Thursday, August 1, 2013

CHICAGO — Dave Pallone, who was part of Chicago history when he umpired the first night game at Wrigley Field, is returning to Chicago to take part in another chapter of American sports history: His inclusion…

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Gay celebrities speak out on Obama’s LGBT accomplishments

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

In a new campaign video for President Barack Obama, celebrities Jane Lynch, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Zachary Quinto, Chaz Bono, Wanda Sykes, George Takei, and Billie Jean King speak out about Obama's LGBT accomplishments.

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