Margaret Court named homophobe of the year

Former tennis player Margaret Court has won an award for making the worst homophobic comment of the year.

The Australian tennis player came under sustained fire last year over a string of homophobic comments.

Ranting to the media she likened gay people to Hitler, claimed that homosexuality is an ungodly “lust for the flesh”, insisted that LGBT tendencies in young people were “all the devil”, and alleged that older lesbian tennis stars have ‘converted’ younger players.

Her comments were rebuked by LGBT activists at the 9th annual GLORIAs (Gay & Lesbian Outrageous, Ridiculous and Ignorant comment Awards) in Sydney.

Margaret Court (Vince Caligiuri/Getty)

Court beat a total of 47 nominees to pick up the award for most homophobic comment of the year, which was decided in a “raucous boo-off.”

An honourable mentions went to Lyle Shelton’s Coalition for Marriage, for claiming that equal marriage would make Pride events mandatory and that kids will be forced to learn how to have “gay sex” – as well as claiming that there will be a 4,000% increase in children coming out as transgender.

(Getty)

The country’s embattled Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also made the shortlist, for “putting the LGBTQI community through a postal vote inviting the whole of Australia to pass judgement on the validity of same sex relationships.”

Court claimed last year that gay people are “[doing] what Hitler did…what communism did… get in the minds of the children. There’s a whole plot in our nation and in the nations of the world to get in the minds of the children… They’re after our young ones, that’s what they’re after.”

The winners are below in full:

• Dec 01

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