MARTINA NAVRATILOVA - NAVRATILOVA COMMENDS 'COURAGEOUS' BASS

NAVRATILOVA COMMENDS 'COURAGEOUS' BASS

Lesbian tennis legend MARTINA NAVRATILOVA has penned a letter to America's People magazine praising singer LANCE BASS for going public with his homosexuality. The former 'N SYNC star appeared on the cover of the publication last month (JUL06), and announced he is gay and in a committed relationship with reality TV star REICHEN LEHMKUHL. In the letter to be published in the 28 August (06) issue of People, Navratilova writes, "Lance Bass is a courageous young man. "Coming out to your family and friends is hard enough; to do so to the world is a lot harder. I know, as I took this step more than 25 years ago." Bass told People he doesn't want to become a poster child for gay rights or an activist, but Navratilova urges him to make a stand for equal rights. She ends the letter by saying, "So as our fight for equality continues, I will not be surprised to one day see Lance Bass marching with the rest of us, right there in the front row."