Billie Jean King Says Women of Color, with Disabilities and LGBTQ Have 'Been Left Behind' in Title IX Fight

John Minchillo/AP/Shutterstock Billie Jean King

Former world tennis champion and current women's rights advocate Billie Jean King has no desire to slow down when it comes to gender equality.

The 78-year-old is the founder of the Women's Sports Foundation, dedicated to creating leaders by providing girls and women access to sports. Wednesday evening, the foundation hosted its annual Salute to Women in Sports awards gala, attended by Serena Williams, Alexis and Olympia Ohanian, Suni Lee and others.

Billie Jean King tells PEOPLE that while events such as this one that celebrate female equality are great, there is a lot of work yet to be done. When discussing the progression of female rights, the former tennis player says "it's been very, very slow."

"You'll think progress was very fast when you read it, but when you've lived it, it's very, very slow. So for me, all I'm thinking about now is the next 50 to 100 years, what can we do now to tee that up so girls and women are successful?"

This battle can't be fought by women alone, King explains. "Men have to be a big part of this because they're our allies. And I know I've had men in my life who are true allies, they've made a huge difference because a lot of times they're the ones that have the power or the money."

She continues, "Eventually I hope that more women have that opportunity too, and women slowly but surely right now are starting to have more money and that's going to give choices, mobility and all the things that we need."

Gotham/Getty Billie Jean King

King's wish is that men start to think more about "wanting equal opportunity for all their children, all their grandchildren, all their friends. That's what we really want."

For the time being, King thinks seeing more mixed sports would be a step in the right direction. "I don't mean playing against each other," King explains. She elaborates, "But like team tennis, we always had men and women together and it was all equal. So when a child would come to a match, he or she or they would see equality on the court. That's what I want. I always want inclusion, equality. Figure it out."

As a sports icon who has paved the way for so many women, Billie Jean King recognizes how wonderful it is to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX this year. However, just like the rest of the fight for equality, there are still aspects to be worked on. "For Title IX the next 50 years, we have to make sure we worry about girls of color, girls and women living with disabilities, the LGBT community… they've been left behind a lot in this."

When it comes to another "Battle of the Sexes," King says it could happen, but it won't have the same meaning. "When I played Bobby Riggs in '73, we just passed Title IX the year before, June 23rd, 1972. We started the WTA, the Women's Tennis Association, I founded it in '73. We had the height of the women's movement… A lot was happening around that time."

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King continues, "I knew if I beat Bobby, it would help. Women still couldn't get a credit card in 1973 on our own. So it was shocking. So those are the things we wanted to push forward and allow women to have more self confidence."

Despite having a successful, robust career, Billie Jean King has no desire to look back. "Actually, I don't look back, I look forward usually. The only reason I look back is the more I know about history, the better you can shape the future."