Federation of Gay Games

After a lifetime of superlative achievements, Billie Jean received what she has called her biggest honor in tennis in August 2006 when the National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center ... In 2003 she received two other significant honors, the Philippe Chatrier Award, the International Tennis Federation's highest award, and was among the first six inductees into the Court of Champions at the USTA National Tennis Center ...

Billie Jean is a native of Long Beach, California and learned to play tennis on the local public courts ... She won her first international title at only age 17 when she and Karen Hantze Susman captured the Wimbledon women's doubles title ... That was merely the beginning, because she soon went on to dominate in singles competition, winning 10 Wimbledon titles, 5 U.S. Opens titles, one French Open and one Australian Open ... She was ranked No. 1 seven times in her life and won 20 Wimbledon titles overall ... Billie Jean was the first woman to win more than USD$100,000 in a calendar year ... She confronted male chauvinism in tennis directly in 1973 in the "Battle of the Sexes" where she beat Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 ... She founded the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation, a non-profit initiative that supports girls and women in all sports ... She co-founded World TeamTennis in 1974 ... In 1984 she was named commissioner of TeamTennis, the first woman in professional sports history to hold that office ... She has coached U.S. Olympic and Federation Cup tennis teams and led the United States to the Fed Cup title in 1999 .... Billie Jean serves on the boards of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Women's Sports Foundation ... She established World TeamTennis Charities to encourage the pursuit of excellence by women and men regardless of gender, race, physical or mental challenges, appearance, or sexual orientation ...

Billie Jean taped a special message of greetings for the participants that was played at the 1994 Gay Games IV opening ceremony in New York ... She has recently become a spokesperson for RainbowVision Properties, founders of GLBT community and retirement centers in the western United States ... For more information on Billie Jean's current activities, visit her new website at BillieJeanKing.com and the websites for the Women's Sports Foundation and World TeamTennis.

Quotable: "The Gay Games have long held a special place in my heart. Together, the previous six Gay Games have motivated millions worldwide with the mission of achieving one's personal best, regardless of sexual orientation. Just as with the women's sports movement, the Gay Games have helped to tear down stereotypes. I am particularly pleased to lend my support as Chicago is poised to continue the legacy as host of Gay Games VII in 2006. In the '70s we had to make it acceptable for people to accept girls and women as athletes. We had to make it OK for them to be active."

"Gay Games," "Federation of Gay Games," and the interlocking circles device are trademarks of the Federation of Gay Games, Inc.
Trademarks are registered in the USA, Canada, Benelux, the UK, and Australia.
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