A WA venue that hired out a function room for a Margaret Court event has donated proceeds to a queer youth counselling group.
The tennis star turned minister spoke at a private function on Monday at the Esplanade Hotel in Busselton, south of Perth. The event was hosted by the group Tennis Seniors WA, of which Court is a patron.
But many in Busselton’s LGBTIQ community slammed the venue for the booking, given Court’s extreme anti-LGBTIQ views. The same hotel also sponsors and hosts the local pride festival’s after party.
The Esplanade Hotel has now confirmed it has donated $500 from the function to the Sexuality And Gender Acceptance youth group at South-West Counselling Inc.
Love All Busselton, a local equality group, said they were “glad to see this positive gesture from the Esplanade” after the outcry.
“A disproportionate number of LGBTIQ people experience poorer mental health outcomes [than] their peers. These health outcomes are directly related to experiences of stigma, prejudice, discrimination and abuse,” a spokesperson said.
“It’s not enough to claim it is just a ‘private function’.
“If you want to profit off doing business with homophobes – or anti-vaxxers, white supremacists, climate change deniers, or any other group causing harm in the community – you will be called out for it.
“We will not let the champions of homophobia and transphobia be celebrated in the Busselton community unchallenged.”
Margaret Court’s latest transphobic sermon
Busselton Pride said Margaret Court’s views “are not welcome” in the community and The Esplanade Hotel was a longtime supporter of their festival.
Tennis Seniors WA President Paul Moss said he had “looked forward to hearing Mrs Court discuss her tennis career, as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.”
“We are delighted that Margaret is able to attend this event in the 50th Anniversary year of her first Grand Slam,” he said ahead of the event.
In a sermon late last month, Margaret Court again lashed out at transgender people and said homosexuality is “a choice”.
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