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Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, two of the most high-profile tennis players who are openly lesbians, expressed solidarity towards other members of the LGBTQ+ community on the occasion of National Coming Out Day.
King wrote a strong message on Twitter, stating that courage is needed to live authentically when coming out can be quite a challenging task.
"It requires courage to live authentically, and knowing when to share your truth is sometimes a challenge. If you’re ready & can safely do so, then I support you. And if you’re not quite there yet, I support you exactly where you are. Your time will come," the 78-year-old wrote.
King was among the first athletes to come out as gay and is currently married to her former
Navratilova had a rather simple message to give, tweeting:
"Been there, done that."
Billie Jean King sent her support to Daria Kasatkina and Nadia Podoroska who came out as gay this year
Daria Kasatkina and Nadia Podoroska both came out as gay this year. with Billie Jean King sending her support to both of them.
The 78-year-old lauded Kasatkina's bravery after she revealed she had a girlfriend during an interview with blogger Vitya Kravchenko.
"Sending all our support to @DKasatkina, Russia’s No. 1 ranked tennis player, who has come out as gay. It takes a great deal of bravery to live authentically, but it is worth it," Billie Jean King tweeted.
After coming out, Kasatkina spoke out against Russian culture, where several subjects were 'taboo.' She also stated that people in the country would not choose to be gay if it came down to a matter of choice.
"So many subjects are taboo in Russia, some of them more important than ours, it's no surprise. This notion of someone wanting to be gay or becoming one is ridiculous," Daria Kasatkina said.
"I think there is nothing easier in this world than being straight. Seriously, if there is a choice, no one would choose being gay. Why make your life harder, especially in Russia? What's the point?" she added.
The 12-time Grand Slam Singles champion congratulated Nadia Podoroska when she came out a few days back. She also lauded the Argentine's courage.
"Congratulations to WTA player Nadia Podoroska on her announcement. Living authentically takes such courage, but it is always worth it," Billie Jean King's said.
