Let you know about the GLAAD Media Awards movie and television nominees last night but wanted to mention a few other honors and nominations. First of all, I am so excited to see nominated in the best documentary category "Bille Jean King: Portrait of a Champion" which I reviewed for the blog back in July. It was such a superb show and allowed new generations to get to know this sports pioneer and appreciate all she has done for society. The HBO King doc is up against HBO's "All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise," BBC's "My Mums Used to be Men," Sundance Channel's "One Punk Under God," and IFC Films' "This Film is Not Yet Rated."
I'm rooting for Billie Jean who I've had the pleasure of interviewing several times on the phone and who I finally met last November at a charity event in Orange County (we are pictured at right). One thing about Billie Jean King: of all the famous people I have met over the years and greatly admired, she is one of the very few who was not a letdown. She was exactly what you'd hoped she'd be. She's in the moment, interested in you and in what is happening in the world. She is a very rare human and if you can catch the HBO documentary, you will see what I am talking about.
Billie Jean was once the doubles partner and later the coach of another tennis icon, Martina Navratilova who will be presented with GLAAD's Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the Los Angeles ceremony in April. Martina, who came out in the last 70s as a lesbian, is an outspoken gay rights activist in addition to being a remarkable athlete who was able to win the U.S. Open mixed doubles championship last September a month shy of her 50th birthday. In all, she won 167 singles titles (including nine at Wimbledon) and 178 doubles titles. Martina is the creator of the Rainbow Card, a credit card that allows users to donate to the LGBT community just by using the card.