Lendale has always been openly gay and as one of the very first professional tennis players to do so, she never shied away from sharing her truth. As the star of an upcoming reality show, Lendale Johnson knows that this quality will help them.
Johnson made 2020 history by coming out as gay. A few years later they again made waves when they came out nonbinary. Although it was a difficult fight, the athlete feels great pride.
Lendale Johnston on Queer Representation in Sports
Sonia Baghdady, of the Sonia Baghdady Show, tells her that “Visibility” is a powerful force in our world. Advocate Now.
Johnson says they felt that their “voice” was more powerful during this time, and they wanted to be a part of the Black Lives Matter movement. Johnson explains that even though they were welcomed warmly by many at the time and received brand deals as well, they still experienced some backlash. This was particularly true in international circles.
“Advocates were worried about me travelling to tournaments that are in countries where there is very little LGBTQ equality,” they explain. This was a very frightening experience. “I have to be very careful with the tournaments that I attend around the globe.”
Johnson claims they have no regrets…
