When you oppress people either by gender, by race, by sexual orientation, when you do that and the doors become ajar, they will fly open and they will come and they have. Billie Jean King More Quotes by Billie Jean King More Quotes From Billie Jean King The trouble with being number one in the world - in anything- is that it takes a certain mentality to attain that position, and that is something of a driving, perfectionist attitude, so that once you do achieve number one, you don't relax and enjoy it. Billie Jean King achievementnumbersattitude Female athletes are stereotyped by the general population--and usually as homosexuals. Billie Jean King populationathletesports Being Number One isn't everything to me, but for those few hours on the court it's way ahead of whatever's in second place. Billie Jean King successnumbersway I hate being called a homosexual because I don't feel that way. It really upsets me ... Being gay can happen in any walk of life, in any world. If you have one gay experience, does that mean you're gay? If you have one heterosexual experience, does that mean you're straight? Life doesn't work quite so cut and dried. Billie Jean King cuttinghatemean The main thing is not a matter of wanting to win; the main thing is being scared to lose. Billie Jean King failurematterwinning When we reach the point where the women athletes are getting their pick of dates just as easily as the men athletes, then we've really and truly arrived. Parity at last! Billie Jean King athletesportsmen Martina and I went through a very bad five years. Everything's very good between us now, but it was a long haul. Billie Jean King sportslongyears I would love to be a player today. I had the right personality for it. Billie Jean King playerpersonalitysports I have a lot to say, and if I'm not No. 1, I can't say it. Billie Jean King i-canifssports Ask Nureyev to stop dancing, ask Sinatra to stop singing, then you can ask me to stop playing. Billie Jean King ask-mesingingdancing I will tell you King's First Law of Recognition: You never get it when you want it, and then when it comes, you get too much. Billie Jean King kingslawsports When I was outed, it was like, That's done. Billie Jean King done There is no life for girls in team sports past Little League. I got into tennis when I realized this, and because I thought golf would be too slow for me, and I was too scared to swim. Billie Jean King mesportslifepast I think it's impossible to judge whether another person should come out. You just hope they will on their own time and their own terms. Billie Jean King judgeyouhopetime It's fun to meet people from throughout the world who you don't have to explain yourself to. Billie Jean King yourselfyoupeopleworld
