Australian music icon Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum has added his voice to the calls for Margaret Court Arena to be renamed.

The music journalist and TV presenter was given a standing ovation when people spotted him in the crowd at concert on Friday night, and speaking later to The Herald Sun he said he agreed with the suggestion that the venue’s name be changed.

“I spoke to a lot of people on Friday night, doing a little survey for myself, and they all hated the fact it is called Margaret Court Arena,” Meldrum said.

“We are all trying to be moderate and tolerant, and she comes out with these hateful comments, and with interpretation of the Bible, which is just wrong,” he said.

“She does not deserve it.”

Former tennis player Margaret Court spurred on the long running national debate over marriage equality last month when she declared she would boycott airline QANTAS because of their pro-marriage equality statements.

The tennis player turned evangelical minister then went on to give a series of interviews for radio and television arguing that people who believe that marriage can only ever be between a man and a woman are not being heard by the mainstream media.

Reverend Court suggested to a Christian radio station that transgender children were the result of bad parenting and were the work of “the devil”.

OIP Staff