On the 50th anniversary of Billie Jean King's milestone victory in the "Battle of the Sexes" match against Bobby Riggs, the efforts to secure her another national milestone continue to pick up steam.
Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) introduced bipartisan legislation to award King the Congressional Gold Medal in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, the latest step on the road to awarding the tennis legend and American icon with Congress' highest civilian honor.
King would be the first individual female athlete to receive a Congressional Gold Medal. In March, the companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey.
“Billie Jean King is a tennis legend, a trailblazing American icon and a pioneer for gender equality,” Gillibrand (pictured above, with King) said. “From her leadership on equal rights and Title IX to her advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community, Billie Jean’s life and career is an example of using one’s platform and talents for positive, lasting change. No female athlete has ever been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and no one could be more fitting to break this barrier than Billie Jean King."
The House bill currently has more than 80 cosponsors, and for it to pass, two-thirds of each chamber of the U.S. Congress will need to vote in favor of it.
“Billie Jean King is an incredible athlete and unmatched trailblazer for women and girls in sports,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement Wednesday. “I was honored to introduce this legislation in the House, honoring her important accomplishments, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in recognizing Billie Jean’s tireless advocacy for female athletes.”
“Women’s sports simply wouldn’t be what they are today without the trailblazing leadership of Billie Jean King,” Sherrill added. “From her 39 Grand Slam titles and her advocacy before Congress for the passage of Title IX, to her iconic victory in the Battle of the Sexes and establishing the Women's Sports Foundation, she won greater respect and visibility for women’s sports as she fought for equality–both on and off the court.
"Billie Jean King is a true American icon, one of the greatest examples our country has to offer, and there’s no doubt she should be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal."
Senators Capito and Gillibrand were at the US Open last month to meet with King, as America's Grand Slam celebrated 50 years of awarding equal prize money to women and men–the first of the four majors to do so. That was thanks in part to the stand King took after winning the Open in 1972, where she was paid $10,000 in comparison to men's champion Ille Nastase's $25,000: She said that she, and the rest of the women pros, wouldn't be back at the tournament in 12 months time if they weren't rewarded equally for their efforts.
King worked to secure a sponsor that made up the difference, and convinced then-tournament director Billy Talbert to get on board. The next year, US Open singles champions Margaret Court and John Newcombe were each awarded $25,000.
“Billie Jean King has been an inspiration for female athletes around the world—not only for her incredible talent on the tennis court but also for her determination in fighting for women to receive equal pay," Capito (pictured below, with King) said.
"I can think of no other female athlete that has done more to advance women and girls in sports than Billie Jean King, and I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to award her the Congressional Gold Medal for her efforts."
To date, 11 individual male athletes, as well as the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, have been awarded this distinction by Congress, which dates back more than three centuries. Since the American Revolution, Congress has "commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals and groups to American society," per a press release from Gillibrand's office.
“I am incredibly excited that after just finishing the 2023 US Open–where we celebrated the event’s 50th anniversary of awarding equal prize money to men and women champions and in a year where a new American woman champion was crowned in the amazing Coco Gauff, that Senators Gillibrand, Capito, and Sinema have introduced legislation in the Senate to recognize Billie Jean King with the Congressional Gold Medal,” USTA Chairman of the Board and President Brian Hainline said.
“Billie Jean has utilized her status as both a champion of tennis and as an American icon to fight for equality in all aspects of life. Her legacy and impact are embodied by these three women who have introduced this legislation, and in the Coco’s phenomenal lift of the US Open trophy. It is only fitting that today, on the 50th anniversary of Billie Jean King defeating Bobby Riggs in the ‘Battle of the Sexes,’ that this legislation is being put forth in the Senate.”
As part of the collective efforts surrounding the campaign to award Billie Jean King the Congressional Gold Medal, the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) is urging Americans to act. By signing this national action alert on the WSF website, constituents can ask their elected leaders to support the bill.
