Billie Jean King: Listen to transgender athletes

It’s crucial to listen to transgender athletes instead of trying to tell them how to feel or what they should do, says tennis legend Billie Jean King.

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King, a cisgender lesbian who’s one of the most prominent women athletes of her time, gave a wide-ranging interview to U.K. newspaper The Telegraph last month, just ahead of the championship tournament at Wimbledon, which runs through Sunday.

“I don’t think people have any idea of how hard it is for trans people,” King said. “Just listen to their stories. Listen — not tell them. Everyone is unique. Make them feel included because you really don’t know. With every person I meet, I try to start with a blank. Ask questions. If I weren’t doing this interview with you, I’d be bugging you with a lot of questions.”

Her remarks come at a time when trans athletes, especially trans women, are being attacked by Donald Trump’s administration and many Republican state officials.

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King has been “a lifelong campaigner for social justice and equality, The Telegraph notes. “She was instrumental in pushing for equal prize money for men and women at the US Open in 1973 — the same year her ‘Battle of the Sexes’ victory over Bobby Riggs would irreversibly shift public perceptions of women’s athleticism.” She won her first Wimbledon title in 1961 — in doubles when she was 17. She has won a total of 20 Wimbledon titles, including singles and doubles, as well as many other championships.

King emphasized the importance of engagement even with those who have a different point of view. For instance, Saudi Arabia, which is oppressive of women and LGBTQ+ people, hosted the Women’s Tennis Association finals last year. But “I know things don’t change without engagement,” King told The Telegraph, adding, “I have a feeling it’s going to help long term. In the short term, it probably doesn’t feel like it. It’s the girls who watched it [the WTA Finals]. They had some mothers and girls there of color and they started getting excited about it. You never know how one person is going to impact another person’s life. Muhammad Ali and I used to talk about this a lot. If you don’t engage, things will stay the same.”

Related: Billie Jean King becomes first woman to receive Walk of Fame star for sports entertainment

Also, the WTA is returning to China after initially boycotting the country over the disappearance of Peng Shuai, a tennis player who had accused a government official of sexual assault. “The fact we’re taking tennis back to China is important,” King said. “I’m very big on engagement and building bridges.”

And as always, she emphasized the importance of fair pay for women athletes but said they should have business savvy too. “Women athletes sometimes say: ‘We deserve more. We deserve this,’” she said in the interview. “I’m like, ‘Did they make money this year?’ If they haven’t, why do you think you deserve more? I want athletes to know the business side of it.”