Kenworthy and Rippon Win Without Making the Podium

Neither of America's out gay athletes made the podium in their individual events, but as a piece in the New York Times and the Washington Post note, both were winners at the 2018 Olympic Games in a much more personal way: they were free to be their authentic selves without hiding or apologies.  Indeed, a broadcast of Gus Kenworthy giving his boyfriend a quick kiss - see the image above - won much praise on Tweeter (yes, naturally, the usual hate merchants are not pleased).  As I have tried to stress over the years on this blog, living in the closet is soul killing.  Moreover, even if it doesn't lead to suicide, the energy and emotion wasted on self-hate and living a life like that of an actor on a stage is utterly exhausting, not to mention destructive of finding happiness.   Hopefully, the examples of Kenworthy and Rippon will help many young gays from suffering in the closet wracked by needless unhappiness. First this from the Times piece:

Gus Kenworthy was nursing a hip hematoma, a broken right finger and a bruised ego after a 12th-place finish in the men’s ski slopestyle final, the same event where he won the silver medal four years ago.

Speaking on Sunday while the ceremony introducing the medalists proceeded without him at Phoenix Snow Park in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Kenworthy said, “It’s all good.”

This is Kenworthy’s second Olympics but his first as an openly gay athlete. He and Adam Rippon, the only other openly gay male athlete on the United States team, will not leave here with individual gold medals, but they are among the biggest American stars at these Games.

Here at the Pyeongchang Games, Kenworthy, 26, has engaged in physical displays of affection with men in public. He gave Rippon a peck on the cheek during the opening ceremony and kissed his boyfriend, Matthew Wilkas, before Sunday’s qualifying runs.

If Kenworthy had to choose between winning a medal while leading a closeted existence or failing to grace the podium while living an authentic life, it wouldn’t be close.

“If you look at me, I’m bummed but I’m not sulking, I’m not crying,” he said, adding, “Being out at these Games has kind of meant the world to me, just getting to really be myself and be authentic. And I think landing a run in the final and getting on the podium obviously would have been icing on the cake, but even though it didn’t happen for me I still had a wonderful Olympic experience.”

On the eve of the slopestyle final, Kenworthy and his boyfriend attended the men’s free skate to support Rippon, where they proudly waved a rainbow flag. Kenworthy said he was unaware that a television camera had recorded his pre-competition kiss with Wilkas.

“I think that’s amazing,” he said. “That’s something I wanted at the last Olympics, to share a kiss with my boyfriend at the bottom and it was something I was too scared to do for myself. And so to be able to do that, to give him a kiss and have that affection broadcast for the world is incredible.”

“That’s not something I had as a kid,” he added. “I didn’t see a gay athlete at the Olympics kissing their boyfriend. I think if I had it would have made it a lot easier for me.”

The Washington Post piece looks at Rippon's success:

Adam Rippon, the openly gay figure skater who helped the United States win a bronze medal in team competition and became one of the biggest breakout stars of the PyeongChang Olympics, has gotten his first big break before the Winter Games have even concluded.

Rippon, a darling of the competition for saying things that have been at turns smart, creative and refreshing for viewers, has been hired by NBC as a correspondent for the rest of the Games. NBC confirmed the news, first reported by USA Today, with Rippon expected to work on TV as well as the digital and social media platforms.

Hiring Rippon is not without controversy, though. He is at odds with Vice President Pence over gay rights and has said he will not go with the U.S. team to visit President Trump if invited to the White House.

He has been a must-see as an interview subject, whether he’s speaking about being bullied as a kid or just kidding around. It is, as he has said, “really fun to be me,” and that has been clear from his very first TV moments.

I love these guys!

Olympic Silver Medal Figure Skater: I'm Gay

Having had a daughter who competed in United States Figure Skating Association ("USFSA") competitions, I am all too aware of the pettiness and back stabbings ways of the USFSA and also the homophobia that pressures gay skaters to remain in the closet.Apparently, things in Canada are better and coming out doesn't translate to career suicide. At least that is the opinion of Canadian silver medal winner Eric Radford who came out even as he and his pairs partner, Meagan Duhamel, have their sights on the 2016 Olympics.  Out Sports has details.  Here are excerpts:

  

Eric Radford can already hear it coming.  The Olympic figure skater in the prime of his career knows the stereotypes associated with men in his sport. He's heard it since he was a child when a classmate asked him why his parents forced him to figure skate.

"They don't force me," he told her. "I like it."  That precipitated years of torment by other kids his age in rural Ontario. Not only was he performing in what his peers considered the "gayest" sport of all, he also had a lisp that plagued his childhood.

Fact: No elite figure skater on the world stage has ever come out publicly at the height of his competitive career.

None.

Ever.

Only one - Rudy Galindo in 1996 - did it while still competing at all, retiring from competition after that season.

Sure, Johnny Weir put on a Hello Kitty shirt and Gucci sunglasses and bobbed his head to Christina Aguilera. But not even Weir ever said "I'm gay" publicly until after he had retired from competition (not including his ill-fated "comeback").

It's a scary path to walk for a figure skater. Unlike a sprinter, they are not timed. Unlike a football player, they don't have stats like catches and sacks. A figure skater's success depends on the subjective scores of judges. Those judges are certainly given guidelines. They walk through rigorous instruction on how to judge, and they have deep connections to the sport - An elite international judge won't give a "5" to a "9" performance. But a point here and there? It very well may have cost Weir a medal in 2010.

Plenty of people in the closed circles of figure skating know about his sexual orientation. Despite that, he and skating partner Meagan Duhamel have found incredible success. They were part of the Canadian team that won silver at the Sochi Olympic Games in February. They won bronze in pairs skating at the World Championships in both 2013 and 2014 and are the three-time defending Canadian champions. They earned gold at last week's Grand Prix event in Osaka, Japan, which will send them to the Grand Prix final in Barcelona next week. It was their second win of the year.

Radford has thought about coming out publicly before. Earlier this year, just weeks before the Sochi Winter Olympics, he contacted GLAAD for advice on coming out. The folks there told him it would be an incredible opportunity to send a powerful message of strength from the LGBT community. They were right, and Radford gave it careful consideration. He understood what would happen if he came out just before the Games - He would become a media darling, the proverbial "poster child" for LGBT rights at the Olympics in Russia, where anti-LGBT laws and sentiment were a hot-button issue.

"My concern was that I would be known as 'the gay athlete' if I came out at the Olympics, rather than Eric the medalling figure skater who happens to be gay. And I felt uncomfortable with that title."

Radford was also quite conscious of the warnings about being gay in Russia. 

Unsure of the climate in Sochi and wanting, like so many athletes before him, to be judged on his athleticism and not his sexuality, Radford chose to wait. While the skating community knew whom he was, the public would just have to wait.

Figure Skating Star Johnny Weir Marries Boyfriend

Johnny Weir tried to keep people guessing for a while as to his sexual orientation, but it's clearly out in the open after his book Welcome to My World and now that news has circulated that Weir has married boyfriend Victor Voronov (the two are pictured at right). Weir got married in New York over the holiday weekend and is reportedly honeymooning in the Dominican Republic with his new husband. I wish them both the best of luck and happiness and I long for the day when a same sex couple getting married doesn't even merit comment because it has become so routine and commonplace. Here are highlights from GayStarNews:

Johnny Weir did a lot more than celebrate the New Year over the weekend: he also got married. The skating star tweeted this simple message on Saturday: 'I'm married!'

The other groom is Georgetown Law School grad Victor Voronov who quickly changed his twitter name to Victor Weir-Voronov and posted a photo of the newly-wed pair. The couple are currently honeymooning in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Weir, 27, is a three-time U.S. national champion and was a bronze medalist at the 2008 World Championships. He was evasive about his sexuality until early last year when he opened up in his book Welcome to My World.

Once he came out publicly, Weir began to speak out about LGBT equality. Last June, when he was grand marshal of the West Hollywood Gay Pride Parade he said: '[I'm] representing our brothers and sisters all over the world – and even in America – who are still discriminated against, still don’t have equal rights as Americans. I’m here with love for everybody. I’m so, so proud.'

Figure Skating Cat Fight: Lysacek v. Weir

Both Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir are amazing figure skaters and until now I have respected both - even when Weir has been over the top and failed to live up to his potential. Both delivered wonderful routines in the recent Olympic Games and - as one who spent years around ice rinks and competitive skating with one of my daughters - Weir got screwed by the judges. My respect and admiration has been given to both Weir and Lysacek - that is until now. Now, it seems that Lysacek is having a tempestuous love affair with himself and is acting down right catty and nasty. Much like a peevish queen even. Yes, Weir is flamboyant and always himself whereas Lysacek seems obsessed with not only winning, but also being what others want him to be. Recently, Lysacek made down right horrible remarks disparaging Weir and stating that Weir was not good enough for "Stars on Ice" even though that show includes far lesser skaters than Weir. Out Sports has this to say in part about Lysacek bitter queen remarks and action:

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Evan Lysacek has sharpened his claws on Johnny Weir in a new interview over at MetroMix.com. . . . He’s either blind or a bigger bitch than any of us knew. Weir was third at the U.S. Nationals and sixth at the Olympics this year (and consensus is that he was one of the top four skaters at the Olympics). He’s won U.S. Nationals three times and finished second once. He’s also won a bronze at Worlds. He’s easily as decorated as Evan’s tour-mate Michael Weiss, the difference being that Weiss is married to a woman. And Weir is more accomplished than Jeremy Abbott by a mile, the difference being that Abbott doesn’t walk around in his underwear on national TV.
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No Evan, Johnny wasn’t whining. He was reacting to perceived homophobia. But I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that, since you’re straight as an arrow.
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At least Evan left this little gem for us in the interview… Last question: Are you seeing anyone? I’m single. The reason, well…(laughs)…I’m limited to who I can see. I’m dating in L.A., but I just haven’t found the right girl. Oh, Evan. You silly boy.

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Weir, never one to be caught at a loss for words, had some barbs to throw back at Lysacek. Here's some highlights via The Advocate:
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Johnny Weir appeared on The Wendy Williams Show Wednesday and responded to Evan Lysacek’s claims that Stars on Ice didn’t invite Weir to participate in the tour because he’s not good enough.
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“Even if they asked me today, I wouldn’t do it,” Weir said. And Evan… he’s a slore.” The word, a combination of “slut” and “whore,” made Williams laugh, and the talk-show host followed it up by thanking Weir for making this year’s figure skating competition “interesting and fabulous.”
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Lysacek may have the Olympic Gold, but I suspect that it's Johnny Weir who has the gold medal in life of embracing who is his and not hiding in some self-imposed closet like Lysacek may be doing.

Johnny Weir Speaks at California Gay Rights Fundraiser

Despite what his detractors may say, I love Johnny Weir - both for his figure skating talent and for his courage in being himself and telling critics to be damned. At a Equality California fundraiser, Weir came about as close to coming out as one can without making an outright declaration. Kudos to Johnny and his in your face refusal to somehow be ashamed of who he is. He's what I wish I had been able to be at a similar age except for the fact that I would not have had my children. The Advocate has more on Weir's appearance and his summation of what gays give to the world:

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Figure skating star Johnny Weir lent his celebrity to an Equality California event on Sunday in Los Angeles. At the fund-raiser, Weir thanked his family for their support and then spoke frankly about inequality:
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"Something from the Olympics that I learned is the world is a very, very ugly place. And this community, us, our people, are the people who make it fucking gorgeous. No matter how much people push down on us ... no matter how much they hate people that are different, not only the gay community, but also African-American people, Jewish people ... there's so many things that people focus on and so much what a person is and not who a person is ... If I wanted to get married tomorrow to a woman or to a man, what have you, whatever makes me happy, I'm going to try to do it and I want the freedom to do it. Everyone should have the freedom for that."
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Johnny, I hope you keep up the great work!

Stars on Ice Blacklisting Johnny Weir

As readers of this blog have likely figured out by now, I am a fan of competitive figure skating - having had a daughter in the sport I understand its rigors and demands - as well as an advocate of people being themselves and not playing a role that they deem expected of them. I did that for over three decades and the results were a disaster. Sadly, Stars on Ice has determined through God knows what process that Johnny Weir is not sufficiently "Family friendly" to be included in the Stars on Ice troupe. Never mind that Johnny is a 3-time US National Champion, a World Bronze Medalist, a 2-time Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist, and a 2-time Olympian. The bigoted sponsors - Smucker's and IMG Entertainment (who I am now effectively boycotting) apparently view Johnny as wee bit too gay, Even though they have no proof as to his actual sexual orientation.
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To counter this bigotry that is depriving Johnny of his much deserved professional career, Glesen has started a petition to the anti-gay sponsors of Stars on Ice demanding that Johnny be included among the skaters on the tour. To sign the petition, please click here. PLEASE sign the petition and send a clear message that anti-gay bigotry carries a cost. I am personally so over this gutless anti-gay bigotry that I am going to go through our refrigerators and throw out ALL products by these bigoted sponsors. And henceforth, I will not buy ANY of their products. I hope that others will join me in the effort.

JohnnyWeir Resonds to Homophobes

While he is definitely quirky and not afraid to cause controversy and gossip, Johnny Weir has some good advice for all of us in the LGBT community as he responds to bigots who have made homophobic remarks about his Olympic performances. It boils down to having the courage to be yourself and ignore the slings and arrows that may be thrown at you. To be gay in this country - at least in backwards areas like Virginia and other "fly over country" - you need to develop an attitude of "if you don't like me, that's your loss - I don't give a damn." Obviously, achieving that point takes time and isn't without some hurts, but to live out and proud, that is the mindset one must achieve. Here are some of Johnny's comments via Towleroad:
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Said Weir: "I'm not somebody to cry over something or to be weak about something. I felt very defiant when I saw these comments. It wasn't these two men criticizing my skating, it was them criticizing me as a person, and that was something that really, frankly, pissed me off...I hope more kids can grow up the same way I did and more kids can feel the freedom that I feel to be themselves and to express themselves and that's the most important thing."
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The skater added: "I'm always thought of the sparkly flamboyant character that wore a crown of roses...nobody knows me. I think masculinity is what you believe it to be. To me, masculinity is all my perception. I think masculinity and femininity is something that's very old fashioned. There's a whole new generation of people that aren't defined by their sex or their race or who they like to sleep with. I think as a person you know what your values are and what you believe in and I that''s the most important thing."
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You've got it right Johnny - your critics are clueless and their homophobia speaks more about them than you.

Catholic Homophobia and Hypocrisy

As a former Catholic - and among other things an altar boy, daily mass attendee and 4th Degree Knight of Columbus - I feel that I have a unique perspective on just how dysfunctional and psychologically damaged far right elements in the Roman Catholic Church have become. For me, once it became clear that the policy of cover up and reassigning predator priests from one unsuspecting parish to another was official policy mandated from the Vatican on down, I in good conscience could not remain a part of such a morally disgusting institution. However, some of the same folks within the Church who continue to grovel and kiss the wide asses of the Church hierarchy condemn others - some are even mocking Olympic athletes who do not live up to some supposed ideal of machismo. Meanwhile, these same individuals are deafeningly silent when it comes to calling for accountability on the part of the Vatican and "princes of the Church" who enabled and covered up priests and other clergy who preyed upon children and youth. Here's a sample of this bullshit authored by Louie Verrecchio at Catholic Exchange:
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Given its powerful ability to communicate on such a deep level, it’s no surprise that the Olympic games have in fact at times been deliberately leveraged as a tool for social, cultural and political commentary, if not outright propaganda. The Berlin games of 1936 come to mind, as does 2008 in Beijing, and several others in between.
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Watching the men’s figure skating competition the other night, I couldn’t help but marvel at the blatant “in-your-face” nature of the regrettably common yet profoundly dangerous message that has become a hallmark of this once proud sport.
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The message, as the Kinks put it in their 1970 hit song, Lola, is “boys will be girls and girls will be boys, it a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world,” and guess what? If you buy into all the hype, it’s positively delightful!

I have to tell you; I for one am not even close to being delighted with what I saw. There seems to be an unspoken competition-within-the-competition among many of the male figure skaters these days. It’s as though each one is trying his level best — be it through make-up, hair-dos, mannerisms or costumes — to out gender-bend the next guy.
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How far is this spectacle going to go, I wonder? Seriously, is there anyone who watched the telecast the other night that would be even remotely surprised if four years from now one of these guys comes skating out in an evening gown and a tiara?
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As I watched this folly-of-the-fabulous unfold I was admittedly semi-amused by the sheer ridiculousness of it all, but even though it’s difficult to take a man in chiffon seriously – make no mistake about it – something very serious is going on here and you better be paying attention.
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let me see. Verrecchio worships morally bankrupt bitter old men in dresses, yet mocks male figure skaters? It sounds to me that Verrecchio has some sexual identity issues of his own if Johnny Weir and other male skaters can cause him so much discombobulation. Per chance he secretly urns to wear chiffon himself?

Gay Athletes are Still Reluctant to Come Out

There has been speculation in the blogsphere and elsewhere that perhaps Johnny Weir only placed sixth in the men's figure skating competition because he was being punished for being too flamboyant - or even, gasp, acting like he might indeed be gay. Supporting this conjecture is the fact that while Weir may have arguably skated a "safer" long program, unlike those who place above him (other than Plushenko and Lysacek), Weir did not fall during his routine which was filled with artistry and skill. Sadly, from the years that I spent around competitive figure skating while my daughter was competing, I suspect that such conjecture is on target. Some of the nastiest bitches and most bitter closeted old queens seem to flock to figure skating associations: not only on the International Skating Union but on many individual national skating organizations like the USFSA in the United States. You either do things their way or you'll be screwed over. I hope Weir knows in his heart that he skated beautifully and that many of us respect him for having the courage to be himself. Xtra.ca has two stories on homophobia and the Olympics. The first looks at a complaint filed by The Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians against a station that broadcast homophobic comments in connection with Weir skating performance. Here are highlights:
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The Toronto Star reports this morning that The Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians is planning to file a complaint with the Canada Broadcast Standards Council for comments made on the french language television network RDS after the Olympic performance of flamboyant US figure skater Johnny Weir.
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"This may not be politically correct," announcer Claude Mailhot said in french during the segment. "But do you think he lost points due to his costume and his body language?"

"They'll think all the boys who skate will end up like him," replied his colleage Alain Goldberg. "It sets a bad example." According to The Star, The Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians is demanding an apology from RDS. But perhaps Goldberg's remark is more symptom than cause.
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Homphobia still prevails in professional sports - the Olympics are clearly light years away from its amateur roots - and judging figure skating competitions is a least partly subjective. Maybe it's the International Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union that should be apologizing for allowing a culture of homophobia in figure skating.
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The Olympics should be above homophobic bigotry, but sadly such does not appear to be the case based on Weir's treatment. Talent and ability should be applauded and not sqaushed because the sensibilities of bigots are offended. The second story looks at the larger issues of gay athletes remaing in the closet out of fear for their careers. Here are some further highlights:
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Even as popular culture makes space for gay and lesbian lives, the sports world remains cloistered in its own heterosexist silo, says former Canadian Olympian Mark Tewksbury.
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“It’s incredible that sport has remained the last bastion of 18th-century thinking,” says Tewksbury, who brought home a gold medal for the 100 meters backstroke at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona while still closeted. Everything else has progressed, he says, but the sports world stands out as the exception, as a large closet on an increasingly open horizon.
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“Sport is still top down from policy makers,” he explained to Xtra in 2006, after the release of his book, Inside Out. “It’s very dogmatic and rule-bound. People don’t want to change rule structures. It’s by nature highly conservative. It’s pretty much the last machinations of the old-boys club.” No surprise then that Tewksbury waited until after he retired to come out.
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Buzinski is co-founder of Outsports.com, a US-based online publication dedicated to gay athletes and sport. He, too, thinks athletes don’t come out because they’re afraid of how the public, their coaches and their teammates will respond. “[Athletes] need some assurance that nothing will change and they will be treated the same,” he says, “and until they get that they will stay in the closet.”
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“There are seeds of change,” says former professional snowboarder Ryan Miller. “But there is still that dichotomy where people will come and say they don’t have a problem with [gay athletes] as long as they are not in [their] locker room.” “I don’t know if it [professional sports] is the last closet,” muses Miller. “But it is one of the last.”
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Miller speaks from personal experience. Ten years ago he was competing in Vancouver in one of his first professional snowboard competitions when he suddenly came out — a move prompted by taunts from teammates to go to a straight strip club. The move transformed his career. He eventually had to seek another team and coach.
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“Queer people in sport are not going to talk. Not if the sport is important to them…. Not at the risk of losing your professional career.” With a handful of championship titles under his belt, Johnny Weir won bronze at the US Figure Skating Championships in Spokane in January and set commentators’ tongues a-wagging with his exhibition skate to “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga. The 25-year-old is generating a lot of buzz these days and is often described as flamboyant, colourful, eccentric and a diva.

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Would the International Olympic Committee condone discrimination against athletes based on their religious beliefs? I suspect not. So why is religious based homophobia allowed?

Evan Lysacek Seizes the Gold for U.S.A.

Evan Lysacek delivered an amazing long program in the men's figure skating long program finals last night and ended a 22 year drought in gold medals in the men's sport for the USA. Also skating beautifully was Johnny Weir, who in my opinion and some of the commentators (including former gold medalist Scott Hamilton) was underscored by the always less than objective figure skating judges. Homophobes deride figure skating and act like it's a sissy sport, yet it takes far more skill and athletic talent than say being a football tackle where one need not have mental abilities much above that of a draft animal. I am very happy for Lysacek and hope Weir is happy with his performance which was more mistake free than some who fell yet placed above him. I hope that Lysacek and Weir inspire others boys and men who love skating to ignore the homophobes and follow their dreams Here are highlights from the Los Angeles Times:

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Evan Lysacek's coach, Frank Carroll, had one major hope for his skater going into Thursday's Olympic free skate final. "I want him to grab this opportunity and make it something special," Carroll said, "because so few skaters have this chance."

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Lysacek did all that and more at the Pacific Coliseum. Shaking off the suffocating pressure of the moment -- which actually lasted four minutes, 30 seconds -- Lysacek delivered a brilliant, career-best performance to become the first U.S. man to win the Olympic skating gold medal since Brian Boitano in 1988.
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"I can't even put into words right now how I'm feeling," said Lysacek, the 24-year-old from the Chicago suburb of Naperville, who lives and trains in Los Angeles. "This is the greatest night of my life." . . . Johnny Weir of the United States was sixth (238.87), with teammate Jeremy Abbott ninth at 218.96.
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The Olympics are so inspiring. From watching the skating events, both my daughters are going to start skating again, although not at a competitive level. As a parent, it's a proud moment to see your child win an event, so I can hardly imaging who Lysacek's family is feeling right now.

Winter Olympics Start in 8 Days

Growing up through high school in the snow country of central New York State I had plenty of exposure to winter sports. Perhaps as a result, I have always enjoyed the Winter Olympics far more than the summer games. And this year, having been to both Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, the games will have even a stronger sense of connection. One of my favorite events is the ice skating. First because I skated myself before switching to snow skiing and, therefore, respect the skill, talent and artistry required to be a top skater. Second, having had a daughter who was a competitive skater some years back (see the photo below of my daughter), I have a true sense of the sacrifice and cost involved in reaching the upper levels of amateur figure skating (competitions sound exciting, but in reality involve a lot of waiting around and killing time). Representing the USA in the men's competition will be Jeremy Abbott (who took first place at the U.S. Nationals and is pictured above right), Evan Lysacek and the ever flamboyant Johnny Weir (pictured above left)

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One of the most amazing things I was fortunate enough witness during my daughter's competitive years was the Russian Ice Dancing gold medalists who used the University of Delaware ice facility as a training base. They were nothing short of amazing and watching on television fails to allow one to realize the speed with which they skate. Anyone who thinks make figure skaters are not top athletes doesn't know the true rigors of the sport - even if skaters like Johnny Weir like to push the envelop. Here are highlights about Weir's latest run in with animal rights supporters:

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This was only a matter of time. Johnny Weir has been forced to switch from real to fake fur. Weir wore a costume for his free program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships two weeks ago that included a small amount of -- gasp! -- white fox fur on his left shoulder. Not surprisingly, he received enough protests and hate mail from animal rights advocates that he has decided to replace the fox with faux fur.
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The death toll in Haiti is more than 150,000. Soldiers are dying in Afghanistan and Iraq. One in 10 Americans are unemployed and homeless shelters are swelling. But hey, Johnny Weir wore a piece of fur on his costume! We can't have that!
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"I would like to announce that due to pressures and threats from a certain animal rights group, I will be changing the genuine fox fur on my free program costume that I will use in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, B.C., to white faux fur," Weir said in a statement first posted on icenetwork.com. "I made this decision after several threats were sent to me about disrupting my performance in the Olympic Games and my costume designer, Stephanie Handler, was repeatedly sent messages of hate and disgust.
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Here's the above referenced photo of my daughter a number of years back (she's still beautiful).

Butching Up Figure Skating

Having a daughter who was a competitive figure skater for about seven years and having spent a great deal of time at ice rinks waiting for her events to come up, I've seen many a male figure skater not to mention those seen on televised events. Thus I found it ironic and perhaps even a little sad that Skate Canada plans on unveiling a campaign to combat the "gay stereotype" of male figure skaters in the hope of attracting more male skaters. The truth is that high level figure skating is very physically challenging and takes amazing strength and coordination - far more indeed than many other sports. Grace and style should be applauded, not called "gay." Not to mention the fact that most male figure skaters are Einsteins compared to many of the borderline morons one finds in say football. Here are some highlights from Out Sports:

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Figure skating has long been the butt of gay jokes. An organization in Canada is now saying it’s likely one of the reasons that young male skaters in Canada have turned more and more to hockey instead of figure skating; Few boys want to be the targets of gay jokes. From the CBC now comes a report that Skate Canada will unveil a campaign to combat the stereotype. “Tough” is aimed to show how strong and masculine male figure skaters are.

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The report talks to Canadian ice dancer Andrew Poje (that’s him above. . . ), who told the CBC that gay rumors have “always been something I’ve been teased about.” . . . You don’t know how hard it is physically. If I can compare what a long program feels like, it’s like running a 1500 meter hurdle with a smile on your face. So you go out and try that and come talk to me.

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But the best question to ask may be, Will it work? Will showing guys tossing women into the air and catching them while skating backward transform how teenagers view a gay sport?

Figure Skating Rivalry

As regular readers know, I enjoy figure skating – the roommates and I switched channels from watching the Super Bowl to the men’s European figure skating championships. The skaters were so HOT!! I have spent many an hour at ice rinks when my oldest daughter skated competitively at venues ranging from the University of Delaware figure skating complex to an invitational event in the tiny town of Spruce Pine, North Carolina (where we went to one of the mineral/mine outlet tourist stops and my former wife found a 1.2 carat emerald in some mine tailings – now referred to as the “Spruce Pine Emerald” and set in a ring for my daughter). Thus, I found this New York Times article on the competition between Johnny Weir and the much butcher Evan Lysacek. Having seen first hand how subjective and down right bitchy the United States Figure Skating Association (“USFSA”) judges can be, often who is the better skater matters less than who is the “favorite” and who conforms to the judges’ whims. Such being the case, it’s amazing that Weir and Lysacek tied for the U.S. Title with 244.77 points apiece, before the title went to Lysacek on a tie breaker. Personally, I will be rooting for Johnny. Here are some story highlights:

Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir share nothing — except their status as the top two figure skaters in the United States. The closest they ever hope to be is on a medal podium. Lysacek, who fashions himself a hard-core athlete, has won the last two United States national titles. Weir, an athlete into hard-core fashion, won the previous three. Lysacek favors skating’s jumps and stunts and can do without all the pomp, while Weir is one of the most hypnotically graceful male skaters.

Lysacek and Weir were set to face off again this weekend at the annual world championships in Goteborg, Sweden, but Lysacek had to withdraw after injuring his arm in a fall last week. They remain on a collision course for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver — accompanied by growing gaggles of fans who believe that loving one means hating the other, giving figure skating a rivalry of uncommon passion and depth.

In the normally placid enclave of figure skating, supporting either Evan Lysacek the Athlete or Johnny Weir the Artist has become a virtual referendum on matters from skating style and personal style to sexuality itself.

Weir’s outfits often sparkle like disco balls; in his short program he pretends to be a seagull. His total package has not only led to assumptions that he is gay — something not as taboo in figure skating as in other sports — but a controversy over his not being the right type of gay. During a figure skating broadcast last year, the announcer Mark Lund, who is openly gay, said, “I don’t think he’s representative of the community I want to be a part of,” and, “I don’t need to see a prima ballerina on the ice,” before praising Lysacek’s masculinity.

Weir, 23, declined to end the speculation in an interview at the facility where he trains in Wayne, N.J. As far as he is concerned, masculinity sometimes arrives in fur. “There are some things I keep sacred,” Weir said. “My middle name. Who I sleep with. And what kind of hand moisturizer I use.”

Getting more serious, Weir continued: “If I was out to please 10-year-old girls and their 45-year-old mothers in Boise, Idaho, I could play the game and be nice and make my voice deeper. But I don’t see the point. I’m not alive for 10-year-old girls and their 45-year-old mothers in Boise, Idaho — or Colorado Springs, Colo.” Weir was referring to the United States Figure Skating Association, which is based in Colorado Springs. He has claimed the federation has promoted Lysacek over him as a subtle form of punishment for his behavior.

Skating Champion Christopher Bowman, 40, Found Dead

I was saddened to see the news of Christopher Bowman's early death (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-bowman11jan11,0,1134716.story?coll=la-home-center). I have always enjoyed figure skating, both as a participant growing up in Central New York and as an observer. Moreover, once in a while the top male skaters are hotties (France's Philippe Candeloro in his younger years immediately springs to mind). At top competition levels, it is one of the most beauty sports with style and grace combined with great physical stamina. I once had an opportunity to watch the Russian pairs Olympic gold medalists practice while waiting for my daughter's event at the University of Delaware and it was amazing to watch in person.

Yet behind the facade of beauty, it is an extremely expensive (for lessons and coaching, ice time and competition clothing/dresses), difficult and demanding sport, requiring hours and hours of practice and many bumps, bruises and bone fractures frequently involved. Moreover, the mental stress of competing is intense, particularly with the subjective judging of many USFSA judges. I know all this vicariously since my oldest daughter was a competitive figure skater for several years before suffering a knee injury that made her (and my ex-wife and I as parents) question whether or not continuing up the levels of competition was worth it. She chose not to go on competing, but still it was an interesting phase in our lives. Here are some highlights from the LA Times coverage on Christopher Bowman:

Two-time U.S. figure skating champion Christopher Bowman, known as "Bowman the Showman" for his crowd-pleasing skills and as "Hans Brinker From Hell" for his unruly lifestyle, was found dead at a North Hills motel Thursday afternoon. Bowman, a Hollywood native who had lived in the Midwest but returned here to coach skating about a year ago, was 40.

Bowman was found shortly after noon inside the Budget Inn in the 9100 block of Sepulveda Boulevard. His death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose, said Lt. Joe Bale of the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. The coroner's office must determine whether his death was accidental or a suicide.

Capable of controlled elegance on the ice and devilish behavior away from the rink, Bowman finished second at the 1989 world championships and third in 1990. He was seventh at the 1988 Olympics and missed a medal by placing fourth in 1992.

Brian Boitano, the 1988 Olympic figure skating champion, said Bowman never denigrated his competitors."If I had to pick the three most talented skaters of all time, I would pick Christopher as one," Boitano said. "He had natural charisma, natural athleticism, he could turn on a crowd in a matter of seconds, and he always seemed so relaxed about it."