Tennis legend Margaret Court has been slammed by politicians after the decision was made to honour Court on Australia despite her well-known views on the LGBTQIA community.
Court will receive the AC – Companion in the General Decision from the Governor-General David Hurley and the Council for the Order of Australia.
The decision that she’s being honoured on Australia Day has angered many, including Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.
“I do not support that. You know my views on a whole range of issues. I’m being honest with you, I do not support that,” he told reporters.
“I don’t believe that she has views that accord with the vast majority of people across our nation that see people particularly from the LGBTIQ community as equal and deserving of dignity, respect and safety.
“I don’t believe she shares those views and I don’t believe she should be honoured because of that.”
The AC is awarded to individuals for “eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or to humanity at large”.
Due to the backlash, Court has claimed she is being “bullied” for her views.
“All I know is over the last few years, I’ve never had anybody out in community come to me and say ‘we don’t like you’, or ‘we don’t like your beliefs’. I’ve had thousands come to me and tap me on the shoulder and say ‘thank you, we really appreciate you,’” Court told The West Australian.
“Over the years, I’ve taken a lot, and I think I’ve been bullied in one way, and I think, you know, it’s time to stop,” Court said.
“Always remember I’m a minister of the gospel and have been for the last 30 years, I always say what the Bible says.
“I love people, people come in from all backgrounds, I’m there to help, I’m not there to put people down in that way but I’ll always say what the Bible says.”
Court also makes headlines every summer due to increasing pressure to rename the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne, but Daniels is tired of talking about it.
“I’m quite sick of talking about that person every summer,” he said, refusing to address Court by name.
“We finish up having this discussion in one form or another every single summer. I would prefer not to be giving oxygen to some of those views
“Do we really have to do this every single summer? But apparently we do.”
This article originally appeared on Over60.