Women have long been called “the fairer sex” and it was assumed that they were far weaker then men. However, in 1973 a 29 year old professional female tennis player sought to prove the old adage as false and challenged 55 year old Bobby Riggs to a match. She won in three straight sets.
Since that time Billie Jean King has been an advocate and activist for women’s rights.
Over the course of her career, King has won the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, the first female to be a “Sports Illustrated” Sportsman of the Year, is a member of the International Tennis, California, Southern California Tennis, National Gay and Lesbian Sports, and Chicago Gay and Lesbian Halls of Fame, received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 1999, received a GLAAD Award, earned the ITF Phillippe Chatrier Award for contributions to tennis, and was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the first female athlete to do so.
And now she will be the first solo female athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.
Introduced a year ago – on the anniversary of her Battle of the Sexes win – the bill was passed by the Senate unanimously and has now passed in the House of Representatives. It only needs the signature of President Joe Biden to become official.
Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Mikkie Sherrill introduced the bill. Sherrill spoke on the bill saying it was for a “lifetime of advocacy and hard work changed the landscape for women and girls on the court, in the classroom, and the workplace.”
Fitzpatrick added, King had “broken barriers, led uncharted paths, and inspired countless people to stand proudly with courage and conviction in the fight for what is right.”
The Congressional Gold Medal is presented for “distinguished achievements and contributions to society”. Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson, and Arnold Palmer are previous recipients of the award.