!), ii" ..;:, Fcr-transgencler tennis star Renee Richarels, the generation gap looms larger than f he gender gap.</p><p> Fier tetesi hook, Na Way Renee, continues the stnry of her "nCItfirisuE" life BY Michael Giltz en6e Richards ivalks gingerl;'down the gravel drive- way of her upstate New York home.</p><p> At 72, she's still active arrd fit, though a far cry from the imposing ath- lete who stalked the net at the 1977 U S Open, trvo years aLter her sex-change operation Richards became an unintentional hero when she was outed afber an amateur tennis match in La Jolla, Calif.</p><p> She was 41 years otd and had no desire to turn pro.</p><p> But when tennis officials pre- emptively told her she couldn't, Richards began a fight that would fbrever define her life "I was happy starting a practice in ophthalmology in Oaliforrria,"she recals "Then they told me I coiildr't play, and ali of a sr-rCden I became the world's actir.rst for the sexually diseniianchised " Transgender people today may turn up in Oscar-nonrineted frlms and smash-hit sitcoms, but in 1975 the very iclea of gender reassigrrment was shocking The sex-change operation of Clrris- tine Jorgensen had macle international headhnes tr'vo ciecades befote.</p><p> But for all intents and purposes, Richards was alou' "You have to put it in perspective," she says "Nobodv had ever hearcl of doing an1'thing like this I was big l was tall I r'vas not as strong as the 2O-year-old women I was pLaying' but I r'vas imposing.</p><p> I was a Pariah " P THE ADVOCi\TErd JO[.]te ontL.,,".. , l:BOOKS Richards's newly released autobiogra- plry, No Way Reruie: Tlrc Second Half of My NotorioLrs lzle (Simon and Schuster) revisits stories flom her best-selling 1983 memoir, Secorzd Serue She writes of grow- ing up as Richard Raskin, a boy wearing his sister's clothes, the years-long struggle to have a sex-change operation, and the decision to challenge the United States Tennis Association for the risht to com- pete agarnst women.</p><p> She then brings the story up-to-date, sharing her bemused accommodation to an ever-changing world, her career as an ophthahnologist, her drive to be a good father (Richards's word) to her son Nicky, and the search for love that con- tinues today.</p><p> It's a story Richards is proud to tell arid retell.</p><p> And while she's not shy about rec- ognizing the path she forged, she is hardly the firebrand activist sorne would wish a transgender poster child to be. "I'm not an advocate," she says, reflect- ing on this publication's title. "I'm essen- tially a pretty passive person-a tennis player and a doctor "I'm not politica-lly or socially what ordinary people would call an activist." Richards attributes much of her con- ventional thinkirig to her upper-cr-ust edu- cation at Horace Maln college prep schoolBillie Jean is lffng The ultimate athlete was 32 years old and closeted when transgendel" Rende Richards sued for the right to play pro tennis against women. i{ere, she looks back and contempiates the future of gays in professional sports It was an interesting time for all of us.</p><p> I cal remember trying to calm down all the players.</p><p> If somebody speaks up-it doesn't have to be me all the time, but any of us-its just amazing how every- body calms down.</p><p> When you personally get to know somebody, that changes everything.</p><p> I think that's what happened lwith Ren6el.</p><p> Some of the gu.ys knew her as Richard.</p><p> When sr.Le started playing, the other women obviously started talking to her and listening to her.</p><p> All of a sudden, they'd say, "Oh, my God, she's so nice." I think she should be so proud.</p><p> Every generation passes the baton to the next.</p><p> It had to be so horrible for her. [But] you do have to live yourtruth; that's what Ren6e dicl.</p><p> For her, that meant an extremely diffi- cult situation.</p><p> Both Martina and I were still clos- eted [at the time].</p><p> Martina told me, "I knew when I was born that I was gay." I said, "What? You did?" I didn't know at ail; I didn't have a clue.</p><p> Mar- tina and I were both going to be outed.</p><p> I was outed, but she was going to be, and that's the reason she came forward.</p><p> She was not going to do it lotherwise], believe me.</p><p> It was really rough times for us.</p><p> It's the gay gu.ys that have it even rougher.</p><p> We need quarterbacks of foot- ball teams stepping up and saying, "This guy's gay, suck it up, get over it." I saw lformer NFL comrnissioner] Paul Tagliabue at a Patriots game and he said, "Guess what? My son's going to be the head of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays " He was so excited, so sweet.</p><p> One person at a time.</p><p> Little steps Little shifts.</p><p> I was talking to Ilana [Kloss], my partner, today.</p><p> I said, "You know, it's so much easier than it was even 10 years ago." Every year it gets eas- ier.</p><p> Maybe it's just that we're more comfortable "This is your partner? Fine, next," as opposed to kaspl.</p><p> It's amazing what Ren6e has done for transgenders.</p><p> What a symbol for all of us, not just transgenders.</p><p> Of course, she doesn't even like that. [Richards prefers the term trdnssex- real.l She's stuck, but she knows it.</p><p> That's what makes it more funny.</p><p> Listen, when we go to dinner, I'll be asking her, "What are you doing, girl? You're the big momma.</p><p> You've got to help the next generation and not make them feel like they'r'e doing the wrong thing." -Billie Jean King, from an itzteruieu with.</p><p> Micl-tael Giltz I IVarch 2l ,2OA7 aaJvocJtar co )rin Riverdale, N.Y., and Ya]e in the 1950s, where she learned the traditional values that she adheres to today.</p><p> For instance, while Richards believes everyone deserves the legal rights of marriage, she can't quite force herself to think of two women as "married." "I was born in 1934.</p><p> Marriage to me rneant men and women," she admits. "I have two very close friends three houses up the road.</p><p> They're lifetime partners and they don't call themselves married-" She quickly adds that they may be bound by the same generational conven- tions she learned. "They're in'their 50s.</p><p> If they were in their 20s, they'd be demand- ing it.</p><p> I}<now that," she says.</p><p> For her part, Richards thinks trans- gender people should not be abie to com- pete at the highest levels, a belief she re- aiizes undermines everything she accomplished.</p><p> She suggests transgender {emales like Canadian mountain biker Michelle Dumaresq and Danish golfer Mi- anne Bagger play at club events rather than on national teams. "The U S.</p><p> Olynnpic Committee has de- creed in all of its great glory and intelli- genr:e that transsexuals can play in the Olymplcs if two years have passed since their operations-I think that's going to come back to haurt them," she says.</p><p> It's not new thinking Tlansgender ath- letes today confront many of the same ar- guments Richards did 35 years ago What constitutes gender? Are transgender people fair competition in women's sports? Which locher room do they use? In the clanror Richards endured during her battle to compete athletically against women, she heard little complaint from the one group you'd expect, her competition. "I called her and said, 'Can I come listen to you and your storw? At least meet you,"' remembers Billie Jean King "She said sure.</p><p> I was there for fbur hours " '1\4ren I look back on it, I'd say it was a remarkably warrn welcome," Richards says. "It's not just that they were willing to play me; some of them have stayed close friends to this day.</p><p> Wendy Turnbull, Vir- ginia Wade, Ilana Kloss, lVlartina LNawa-Do transgender athletes have an unfair advantage in competitive sports? You tell us.</p><p> Here's how Ren6e Richards and Martina Navratilova compared when they were atlhe I977 U.S.</p><p> Open.</p><p> Age. ....42 Height.. ...6feei1inch Weight ...147pounds Previous U.S. 0pen tournaments Serve . .</p><p> Seed .</p><p> Result.....</p><p> Age....... ..20 Height....... ....5feet7%inches Weight .,..155pounds Previous U.S. 0pen tournaments Serve . .</p><p> Seed. . .</p><p> Result.... .lostin semifinalsnone left none lost in first round tiloval and Billie Jear and Mary Cariile they're all very good friends of mine " King filed al affidavit in court support- ing Richards's entry into the U.S Open.</p><p> In 1981, Nawatilova asked Richards to ioin her team of coaches as she prepared her epic rivalry with Chris Evert.</p><p> Nineteen years later Nau"atilova would insist that Richards induct her into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. "Here are the two greatest of all time in my court," says Richards "Ald they had everything to lose." "Aft,er she won the lawsuit, the players were freaking out," says King. "I said, You gr-rys, she's a woman, so she's playing.</p><p> Get over it."' Some of the details of Richards's life are confounding, others surreal, and a few seemingly self-sabotaging.</p><p> When Richards sought counsel for hel frght against the USTA, she cbose closeted gay, homophobic, McCarthyist lallyer Roy Cohn. \4rhen she decided to begin her new life as a woman,four | ^++ 2 she opted to live in Orange County, Califl, which hasn't voted for a Democrat in a presidential election since FDR's second terrn.</p><p> The ,John Wavne Tennis Club was her local court.</p><p> In March 1999, Teruzis magazinc pub- Iished an article titled "Regrets, She's Had a Few," implving this included hcr sex- reassigrment surgery.</p><p> Although Richards adamantly denies this is true, she admits to r,vishing it had not been necessary "I reelize it's rcmarkable," she says. "lButl I wouid rather have not had this ovelwlrelminglv diverse cxperient e oI being able to live half of my iife as a marl and half of mv life as a woman.</p><p> I would rather I rrrere not born or imprinted into being il transsexuai Absolutely " Richards acknowledges the ellect she's had on transgender peopie and society at large.</p><p> But that doesn't mean she ap- pi'oves of it "I don't even like the word tr(Lnsgen- ckred.</p><p> I didn't have a gender operation: I had a sex change.</p><p> Now there's a new thing that Lhe transgendered r,r,ant to har.e thej,. birth certilicates changed so they can be women without having an operation So it's all my fault." I Giltz i,s a regttlar tnntribtftor Lo ::erttru.I periotlicaLs. i.ncLuling thc Nerv York PoslFigures from the United States Tennis Assoctattan THT ADVOCATE aov0cate com Vl arcr 27 2OA1Page 1 of 1 From: To: mgrltz@pipeline.com Date: 41412001 5:06:32 PM Subject: Advocate article Michael,i have been meaning to write to tell you how much I appreciated your sending me the article.</p><p> I think you did an excellent job,one of the best,of many,since the book came out.</p><p> Well done! However,you got me in trouble with my friends three houses away.</p><p> Very calmly Lithgrowfyes,his name is Lithgrow Osbome!] said to me at a recent party 'You know, renee ,chuck and I ARE married,and my father who was an elderfor something] in the church,was there.' Oops! Shows what i know.</p><p> However,Billie jean and her partner Ilana Kloss are definitely not married,neither are martina and toni.</p><p> Is it different for men! who knows.</p><p> You wrote a fine article! Best,renee AOL now offers free email to everyone.</p><p> Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. file://C:\Do cumentsYo20and%20Settings\Michaelo/o2\Gtltz.MAIN\Local%20Settings\Temp... 41612007
