The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to award the Congressional Gold Medal to tennis legend and equal rights advocate Billie Jean King, marking the first time that an individual female athlete will receive the nation's highest civilian honor.
Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (R-NY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-VA) and Kyrsten Sinema (Independent-AZ) introduced the bill last September to honor King on the 50th anniversary of the “Battle of the Sexes,” the Hall of Famer's 1973 victory over Bobby Riggs that remains the most-watched tennis match of all time. That same year, King campaigned for equal prize money at the U.S. Open and founded the Women's Tennis Association.
King spent much of the past decade pushing for passage of Title IX, the federal civil rights law signed by President Nixon in 1972 that bans sex discrimination in schools and education programs that receive federal funding. More recently, she has advocated for transgender women to participate in girls' sports and said she opposes state laws that would outright ban student athletes from playing on teams that match their gender identity.
“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 your platform and talents for positive, lasting change,” Gillibrand said last year. In a statement The bill's sponsor, Martin Luther King, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, attended this year's State of the Union address as Gillibrand's guest.
Awarded by Congress for outstanding achievement and contributions to society, the Congressional Gold Medal has included athletes such as Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer. Anna Bouligny, a hospital volunteer during the Spanish-American War, was the first woman to receive the medal. She was awarded it posthumously in 1938.
A companion House bill to award the medal to King garnered broad bipartisan support and had about 300 co-sponsors from both parties.
“Billie Jean's impact was transformative and her legacy of advocacy is unmatched,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pennsylvania, who led the House bill with Rep. Miki Sherrill (DN.J).
king wrote on social media Following Tuesday's House vote, she expressed “deep humility and honor.”
The bill now goes to President Biden, who is expected to sign it.
