Margaret Court Says She Will Driven From Australian Open By Gay Activists Angered Over Her Insistence That Homosexuality A Choice That Is Product Of Childhood Trauma

Margaret Court has vowed to maintain her opposition to homosexuality and same sex marriage, undeterred by gay activists planning to use next week's Australian Open tennis championships to protest against her views. Court, Australia's greatest women's tennis player and a senior pastor at Perth's Victory Life Centre church, said she had never "run from anything" and expected Australian Open organizers to prevent next week's tournament from being hijacked by the gay rights agenda."Are they not wanting me to come to the Australian Open? Is that what they are trying to do? I don't run from anything," Court told The Australian Wednesday. "I have always been a champion and always loved what I do and love tennis. I think it is very sad they can bring it into that. It is hard that they can voice their opinions but I am not allowed to voice my opinion. There is something wrong somewhere. We live in a free society and I stand up for families between a husband and a wife. I won't ever back down on that." Court's views on homosexuality, which she has publicly held for more than 20 years, have prompted gay activists to launch a "Rainbow Flags Over Margaret Court Arena" Facebook site urging people to display gay pride colours at the stadium court named after her. Comments from Court published during last month's highly charged debate on gay marriage at the ALP national conference were rebuked by two of the sport's most celebrated women, Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King. Australian doubles player Rennae Stubbs, who is openly lesbian, accused Court of directing hate towards homosexuals. When contacted yesterday by The Australian, Court said she had never felt hatred towards gay people and was merely expressing God's word, as taken literally from the Scriptures. "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. When I spoke a month ago and stood for marriage, things came back from tennis players who probably didn't read what I wrote. It had nothing to do with people personally or tennis players. I remember speaking to Navratilova 10 years ago on something she brought up with me and I said 'Martina, I love you, God loves you, but a wrong doesn't make a right.’ I think I have a right, being a minister of the gospel, to say what it says from a scriptural side. I have been married for 44 years this year and, to me, marriage is something very special, wonderful, and ordained by God. I look at the children of our next generation and think of the problems they are having in America with all this -- we don't need it in our nation." The prospect of protesters flying rainbow flags next week at the court named after Court presents a dilemma for Australian Open organisers, who, as every year, have invited the winner of 62 grand slam titles as a guest of honour to the tournament. Tournament director Craig Tiley, while lauding Court's achievements, has said neither Tennis Australia nor the Women's Tennis Association shared her views. Court, who argues homosexuality is a choice and often a product of childhood trauma, said the tennis was no place for grandstanding on gay rights.