American couple protests outside Margaret Court Arena

AN AMERICAN couple have staged a very personal protest outside Margaret Court Arena at the Australian Open. In fact, the same-sex couple want their act of love to go viral.

TWO tennis fans have staged a very personal protest outside Margaret Court Arena.

Stacy Cole and his husband Brian Hewitt have travelled from Dallas, Texas for the first Grand Slam of the year but won’t be buying tickets to Margaret Court Arena after the stadium’s namesake expressed her views on same-sex marriage.

Stacy Cole and husband Brian Hewitt won't go to matches at Margaret Court Arena.

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Instead the couple, who married in 2015 soon after same sex unions were legalised in the US, posed for a photo kissing outside the stadium, which they intend to share on social media.

“We actually won’t buy tickets to go in,” Cole said.

“We’ve been going to Rod Laver and the other ones.

“I hope that the Australian Open takes the fact that her name is on his Court very seriously and maybe considers having another name because it does make us feel a little uncomfortable buying tickets to go in.”

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Cole said he would share the photo far and wide.

“She has a very public platform and some of her words and opinions ... is a little offensive and we thought we’d take this opportunity just to stand here in her arena and express our opinions,” Cole said.

“Our objective is just to shed light on the situation for other people by making light of those really old, discriminatory views.

“ ... we’ll put it (the photo) on Facebook, we’ll post the Australian Open and post Margaret Court.”