The real reason why Billie Jean King came out as a lesbian
Learn more about Billie Jean King and why she came out when she did. We look at her successful tennis career.
2024-01-31T00:25:56+00:00
- Why tennis star Billie Jean King came out.
- She was a lesbian pioneer.
- We look at her incredible success.
Billie Jean Moffitt King was born on November 12, 1943, in Long Beach, California.
She is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, as well as one of the most outstanding athletes.
Her record is impressive — she won 39 Grand Slam titles, 12 individually, 16 in women’s doubles and 11 in mixed doubles.
Here we reveal her coming out story and why it happened when it did. You won’t believe it.
She was married to Larry King
At the age of 20, Billie Jean King married Larry King, who would become a renowned lawyer, as well as a pilot and real estate broker.
Five years later, in 1968, the tennis player realized that she was actually attracted to women.
In 1971, she began a relationship with her secretary, Marilyn Barnett, who lived rent-free in the couple’s house in Malibu.
Billie Jean King became the first female professional athlete to come out, something she described as an adventure and a mistake.
Was Billie Jean King forced to come out?
It could be said that tennis player Billie Jean King had no intention of telling the world she was a lesbian.
Billie and Larry could not have imagined what was to come after they asked Marilyn to vacate their Malibu house. She refused.
Barnett threatened to disclose sensitive information, as well as letters the athlete had written to her. It was 1979.
After a suicide attempt that left her paralyzed, Marilyn sued them, forcing King to acknowledge that they had been in a relationship.
The end of her marriage
After this difficult situation, one might think that Billie Jean King and Larry King would divorce, however, this didn’t happen until 1987.
In that year, the tennis player fell in love with her doubles partner, Illana Kloss, whom she married on October 18, 2018.
The New York Mayor David Dinkins, officiated the ceremony, which took place in secret.
The couple lives in New York, although they also have a residence in Chicago. Currently, Billie is an advisor to the First Women’s Bank of Chicago.
Billie Jean King said she had a homophobic family
It is worth noting that Billie Jean King was at the forefront of creating the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the World Team Tennis League.
With this, she became the first woman to serve as a commissioner in a professional sports league.
In an interview, she said that she had a homophobic family and that she herself felt this way.
«One of my great goals was always to be honest with my parents; «I tried to bring up the subject on several occasions, but I couldn’t find the time,» she said.
She finally opened her heart to her parents
She said she suffered from an eating disorder because she wasn’t able to be honest with her parents about her sexual orientation.
«At 51 years old I was finally able to talk properly with my parents and I didn’t have to mince my words with them. That was a turning point for me,» Billie Jean King said.
According to Ameco Press, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on August 12, 2009.
Barack Obama commented that she contributed to gender equality, not only in sports but in all areas of public life.


