Tennis champion Margaret Court boycotts Qantas over same-sex push

Champion tennis­ player Margaret Court has declared that she intends to boycott Qantas over its gay marriage stance.

Tennis great Margaret Court says she will no longer fly Qantas because of its same-sex marriage support. Picture: AP

Australia’s greatest women’s tennis­ player, Margaret Court, has declared that she intends to boycott Qantas because its chief Alan Joyce and his board are “act­ive promoters’’ of gay marriage.

Ms Court is a pastor in the Victory Life Church, in the Perth suburb of Osborne Park, and has opposed homosexuality and gay marriage for more than 20 years.

“How proud I was to promote the kangaroo tail throughout the world from the Constellation days to the 380s. But unfortun­ately no more,” she wrote in an open letter published in a West Australian newspaper.

She was disappointed Qantas “has become an active promoter for same-sex marriage”.

“I believe in marriage as a union between a man and a woman as stated in the Bible,” she says in her letter. “Your statement leaves me no option but to use other airlines where possible for my extensive travelling.”

The main alternative to Qantas flying out of Perth is Virgin Australia, which also supports same-sex marriage.

Ms Court has repeatedly said she does not feel hatred towards gay people and is merely expressing God’s word.

In the lead-up to the Australian Open in January, when gay activists planned to protest against her views by displaying rainbow flags, she said the event organisers should not be “hijacked” by the gay rights agenda.

“I have always said I have nothing against homosexual people­,” she said. “We have them in our church. I help them to overcome. We have people who have been homosexual who are now married.”

Ms Court, who has the most major tennis titles of any player, has attracted criticism for suggesting Martina Navratilova and other lesbian tennis players had ruined the sport. She wrote yesterday she would be pleased to talk to the Qantas board at any time about her views.