Pride Is Political: A Partial History of LGBTQ People in Tennis

We are proud to bring you our Pride Special, a partial and selective history of the LGBTQ people across tennis history who changed our sport forever. Some of the stories you'll know, others were news to us, but all of them challenged our view of history and opened our eyes to so many forms of resistance. Listen for stories about Baron Gottfried von Cramm, Helen Jacobs, Billie and Martina, Renee Richards, and many more. Happy Pride!

 

03:45 The early modern era: Big Bill Tilden

8:00 Helen Jacobs, shorts pioneer and one-half of a fascinating gay relationship in the 1930s

14:20 When queer love is criminal: Baron Gottfried von Cramm

22:00 Ted Tinling, the designer of women's tennis

27:00 Renee Richards changes everything

40:00 The summer of 1981: Billie Jean King & Martina's outings pose an existential threat to women's tennis

45:55 "In Defense of Billie Jean," by ally Chrissie Evert Lloyd

51:00 Martina: a perfect storm of Cold War hysteria, citizenship fears, and the "butch" female body

54:55 Amelie Mauresmo, who was never "in"

1:03:45 Gender trouble: the confounding clash of sex, sexuality, gender, and gender expression

1:11:30 Things we learned and closing thoughts

 

Reading List:

Big Bill Tilden - Frank Deford

Second Serve - Renee Richards

The Rivals - Johnette Howard

"Amelie Mauresmo's Muscles: The Lesbian Heroic in Women's Professional Tennis" - Pamela J. Forman and Darcy C. Plymire

"Renee Richards Wants to be Left Alone," Michael Weinreb (Grantland)

"Renee Richards' 'Second Serve' is a Book About Two Remarkable People," Jeremiah Tax (Sports Illustrated)

"Life, Death, Tennis and the Nazis: Gottfried von Cramm, The Man That Wimbledon Forgot," Will Mage (Vice Sports UK)