As one of the first openly gay professional tennis players, Lendale Johnson has never been afraid to share their truth. And as the star of a new reality series, they know that quality is going to help them.
Johnson made history in 2020 when they came out as gay. Just a few years later, they made waves again when they came out as nonbinary. Though it's been an uphill battle, it's one that the athlete takes great pride in.
Lendale Johnson on Queer Representation in Sports
"Visibility is so powerful in our world, and that's what I really am proud of," they tell Sonia Baghdady of Advocate Now.
Johnson shares they were inspired to come out during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, as they felt their "voice was stronger during that time period." While they were welcomed with open arms by many, even receiving some brand deals at the time, Johnson says that they still received some backlash, particularly in international circles.
"Advocates were concerned about me traveling to tournaments in countries that have very little LGBTQ rights," they explain. "That's been very scary. So I really have to be careful about what tournaments I travel to around the world as well."
But Johnson says they don't have any regrets about living their truth. Being honest with themself and the world about their sexuality and gender identity has allowed them to thrive both professionally and personally.
"Coming out was really like a super power influx, if you will," Johnson says. "I feel like being [openly] nonbinary now, it's only allowed me to relax even more so on and off the court as well."
Johnson stars in the upcoming Amazon Prime reality series, Deuces And Love, which they also serve as an executive producer on. Premiering this fall, the show will follow their life both on and off the court, and will address many of the societal issues facing the nation today.
As for what audiences can expect from the series, Johnson says: "You're going to see a lot of drama. You're going to see the different men that I see in New York. ... You also get to see what really goes down the life of professional tennis players. The ups and downs of African-Americans, issues with LGBTQ rights, specifically trans rights. You're going to get a lot of that."
For more interviews like these, watch Advocate Now on The Advocate Channel.
