(The Hill) – The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to award tennis legend and equal rights activist Billie Jean King the Congressional Gold Medal, marking the first time an individual athlete has been honored with the nation’s highest civilian award.
Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (DN.Y.), Shelley Moore Capito (RW.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) introduced the bill to honor King last September on the 50th anniversary of the Tennis Hall of Famer’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the 1973 Battle of the Sexes, which remains the most watched tennis match of all time. That same year, King successfully campaigned for equal prize money for men and women at the US Open and founded the Women’s Tennis Association.
King spent much of the last decade advocating for the passage of Title IX, the federal civil rights law signed by President Nixon in 1972 that prevents sex discrimination in schools and educational programs that receive federal funds. More recently, King has advocated for the inclusion of Transgender women in women’s sports and has said she opposes state laws that categorically prohibit student-athletes from competing on teams that match their gender identity.
“From her advocacy for equal rights and Title IX to her commitment to the LGBTQ community, Billie Jean’s life and career is an example of how to use your platform and talents to create positive, lasting change,” Gillibrand said last year. in a statement Introducing the bill. King, who was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, attended this year’s State of the Union address as Gillibrand’s guest.
The Congressional Gold Medal is awarded by Congress for outstanding achievements and contributions to society. Recipients of this award include athletes Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer. Anna Bouligny, a hospital volunteer in the Spanish-American War, was the first female recipient of this award. She received it posthumously in 1938.
A companion House bill to award the medal to King enjoyed broad bipartisan support and was endorsed by nearly 300 co-signatories from both camps.
“Billie Jean’s impact was transformative and her legacy as an activist is unmatched,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who co-sponsored the bill in the House with Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.).
king wrote on social media After the vote in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, she said she was “deeply moved and honored.”
The measure now goes to President Biden, who is expected to sign it.
