Margaret Court has sat down for an interview with one of the world’s most watched sports program to defend her beliefs about gay people and marriage, claiming that she’s been the victim of unfair bulling from the LGBTIQ+ community.

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Veteran sportscaster Mary Carillo recently spent several days in Perth with the former Tennis champion turned religious leader and had filed a report for HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel. 

During the story Reverend Court reportedly highlights her work in helping the homeless in Perth, while also sharing her view that homosexuality can be cured.

“Marriage is between a man and a woman,” Reverend Court declares in a promotional video for the upcoming episode of the show. When asked why people of the same sex should not be married Reverend Court replies “The Bible says it.”

Court comments that “I should be able to share it without people throwing stones at me.” The religious leader, whose mega-church is based in Osborne Park, goes on to reaffirm her belief that people choose to be gay.

“Well they haven’t proven that they’re born like it.” Court said.

“I’m getting bullied by gays, by this whole fierce gay movement. I’m just going by what the Bible says and that’s a sin” Court claims in the report, according to Carillo.

US publication The Advocate has reported that during her visit to the Victory Life Centre Carillo was also introduced to parishioners who claim that Court has cured ailments including cancer, not being able to walk and drug addiction.

Carillo told the advocate that she believes she’s been unfairly bullied by the LGBTI community and the recent postal vote on marriage equality was only successful because ‘cashed-up’ Americans funded the Yes campaign.

Also appearing in the report are champion tennis players Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova. King says if she was a tennis player today there’s no way she’d ever play a game at the Melbourne Area named after Court.

Navratilova says Court will be remembered “as a great tennis player, as a pastor who did a lot of good for a lot of people, and as a raging homophobe.”

Speaking to The Advocate Carillo also notes the reverend’s latest book is called Train Your Brain and it promotes Court’s belief that you can learn not to be gay.

“The latest is called Train Your Brain, and she says the brain controls everything. If you want to be homosexual, you can train your brain not to be homosexual,” Carillo explains.

OUTinPerth previously reported that in 2014 Reverend Court had voiced her opposition to the Safe Schools anti-bullying program sharing that she believed that thoughts became physical manifestations. Reverend Court warned her followers not to let certain thoughts into their ‘thought realm’.

In recent week’s Reverend Court has been working hard to promote her work in helping the homeless, including a feature article in the Daily Mail.  While former Labor leader Mark Latham has commented that she should be considered for Australian of the Year.

The full story aired in the USA on Tuesday night, watch the promotional clip below.

OIP Staff