Super!!
Posted on 03/25/2005 5:11:19 AM PST by JesseHousman
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - Martina Navratilova agreed to endorse a travel company for lesbians Thursday, hoping the deal will encourage acceptance of gays.
"Anytime you raise awareness, you're helping the issue," Navratilova said. "People are uncomfortable with what they don't know. Once you put a face on it and make it personal, it changes things."
The only other athlete sponsored by the company, Olivia, is golfer Rosie Jones, who announced her deal a year ago and simultaneously disclosed she's a lesbian.
Navratilova's homosexuality was revealed in a newspaper story in 1981, and she acknowledged that many gay athletes remain reluctant to discuss their sexual orientation.
"People still think they will lose endorsements," Navratilova said. "For some it's an issue of not wanting to call attention to that. One day I hope it will not matter. That's the goal."
When asked how much endorsement money being gay has cost her, Navratilova said, "Who cares? It's millions of dollars, but so what?"
Navratilova, 49, is playing doubles at the Nasdaq-100 Open. Her 167 singles titles are the most of any player.
Navratilova filed suit this month against the sponsor of a credit card marketed to gays. The suit said Do Tell Inc. had used Navratilova to market the card since 1995 with her permission, but she wanted the company to stop because she objected to its marketing.
Olivia said their deal with Navratilova marks the first time she has been sponsored by a gay company. She'll wear an Olivia logo when she plays.
"This is a real dream come true for this company," Olivia founder Judy Dlugacz said. "How great it is to have someone who can just say, `I'm so comfortable being a lesbian, it's not the main issue I have to work on.' It's such a rarity still today."
San Francisco-based Olivia was founded in 1973 and has focused on travel for the past 15 years, arranging more than 70 cruises. The ships have no tennis courts, but Navratilova said that doesn't bother her.
"I just want to hit some golf balls off the deck," she said.
Give us time, satan! We know the payback is going to be gruesome.
I kind of appreciate the fact that they're voluntarily segregating themselves, we don't need any of their perversion in decent society.
Perhaps they could have their own island.
Devil's Island would be a good spot.
Gays will never be accepted... Simply because Perversion will never be accepted... and they are synonyms!
Their own travel companies, eh?
''You're an anti-dentite! Next you'll be saying they should have their own schools!''
''They do have their own schools!''
''Ah HA!''
Super!!
The problem is that their sycophants are legion!
Don't forget to pick up Martina's new book, "How to Lick Your Opponent."
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
The sheer fact that these people are so totally preoccupied and absolutely consumed by sex, sexual things, and their sexual habits is enough to anyone running for the doors.
Rugmuncher Airlines?
Will they replace the headsets with Battery Operated appliances?
Martina was told this could be a good racket.
Lesbian airlines. We dont serve nuts.
Then shut up about it already.
I remember when it was "revealed" that she was a lesbo. I said to myself, Who would have ever thought she was gay?
Martina is definitely one of my un-favorites, based on an extremely anti-American statement she made a few years ago. Really made me wonder why she wanted to become an American. Go back to the Czech Republic!
That being said, there's an awful lot of pure hatred on this thread. What ever happened to loving the sinner, etc.?
I guess if that capsizes you'd better not say it went bottoms up........
Martina is definitely one of my un-favorites, based on an extremely anti-American statement she made a few years ago. Really made me wonder why she wanted to become an American. Go back to the Czech Republic!That being said, there's an awful lot of pure hatred on this thread. What ever happened to loving the sinner, etc.?
Agreed. "Loving the sinner" got lost along the road somewhere, probably at the overpass where "pull the beam out of your own eye" can be found. Of course, I have no taste for Martina either. She's made the usual anti-American statements that you cited based on the fact that we dared have Bush as President.
Not the kind of Bush she likes, I guess.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
If you've read issues of Out magazine, a lot of mainstream travel companies and airlines are already offering special travel packages for the gay and lesbian crowd for many years. Indeed, Virgin Atlantic Airways (pun not intended) has done essentially land office business catering to this group of travellers, mostly because many gays and lesbians have serious "money to burn" on vacation packages.
"Pure hatred"? Where's that? There's plenty of ridicule, loads of contempt, and oodles of revulsion, but I don't see anyone wishing death, violence, or even mild misfortune on Ms. Navratilova or her ilk. Refusal to accept a perverse mental disorder as socially desirable does not constitute "pure hatred".
Easy, now.
These are charming and very frank people.
(You be Frank today, I'll be Frank tomorrow)
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