Adam speaks his mind on US leader chosen for the Oympic delegation

[ks777]

Frankly Eric Radford is far more deserving of Gay Hero status because he acts with dignity and maturity. Adam acts like a 12 year old girl.
.

Adam does? I don't remember seeing him act like a 12 year old girl.

 

[WildRose]

@JohnnyGWeir on Twitter
2018-01-17, 8:59 PM
“Happy that there are representatives of the LGBTQ community competing at the Olympic Games. Notably, ‪@guskenworthy‬⛷, ‪@Adaripp‬ ⛸ & several more. I never “came out” in sport because being gay was something born in me & had nothing to do with my skating. I never came out as white.”

 

[overedge]

Wow....you should apply for a job with CNN with the way you completely make up information and correlations that had absolutely no connection to what was said.

CNN and misinformation, yarite. If you're trying to hide your real agenda, you're doing a crappy job of it.

I posted facts in response to your comment. Google Weir's interviews from 2011 if you don't believe that's when he revealed he was gay. Oh wait, maybe Google is part of the vast LIEberal fake news lamestream media conspiracy too

 

[Anita18]

Sure, meeting the US President or VP is traditionally an honor...but these are not normal times. Gooo Adam!

As a woman, I'm not sure if I could stomach meeting Pence either. And our dept was just emailed a reminder from our directors that as employees of a sanctuary city, we are not obligated to help ICE agents in any way, so I'm in a mood tonight.

 

[DaveRocks]

Adam!

Eric Radford will be the first ever openly gay male athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics.
Adam will be the first openly gay male American athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics.

 

[ballettmaus]

I did not know that Rippon would be the first. That's... sad. Not that he's out and going to the Olympics but that he's the first! I guess, society isn't nearly has forward as we like to think.

I so agree with you. The article makes it seem quite clear that he was baited. He is handling it thoughtfully and yet still making his view clear. He shouldn't have to address this kind of nonsense and should be able to focus simply on his preparation for the games to allow the best performance he is capable of delivering. These kinds of issues are just distractions for athletes that they simply do not need... especially a few sort weeks out from the games. His maturity and strength is impressive. I hope he has a fantastic games. William

Who says that he considers it nonsense? Were they angling for this with this kind of questioning? Probably. Should it have been about his athletic accomplishments? Yes. Should he be able to train and focus on the competition? Absolutely. But as a gay man he might not consider this administration and their actions nonsense.
That said, I hope that whatever he accomplishes at the Games won't be overshadowed by this.

 

[Bulletsdad]

It's a mix of all three. The NPR article says he's the U.S.'s first openly gay man to qualify for the Olympics. I guess U.S. Nationals team announcement came before the other openly gay athletes' team announcements. I still think it's sort of a bold statement because we don't know how many of the hundreds of U.S. male athletes who may have qualified for the Olympics for the U.S. were out but not famous or public figures so nobody other than people who knew them knew about it.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...openly-gay-man-to-qualify-for-winter-olympics

Luger John Fennell would have beaten him had he qualified this past December.

OT: During Adam's Reddit Ask Me Anything, Fennell asked Adam out.

Fennell is adorable. I hope Adam takes him up on his offer; they would make a damn cute couple!

 

[DaveRocks]

^^ Yeah, John was just in Vancouver watching Canadian nationals. He's a super nice guy.

 

[Bulletsdad]

@JohnnyGWeir on Twitter
2018-01-17, 8:59 PM
“Happy that there are representatives of the LGBTQ community competing at the Olympic Games. Notably, ‪@guskenworthy‬⛷, ‪@Adaripp‬ ⛸ & several more. I never “came out” in sport because being gay was something born in me & had nothing to do with my skating. I never came out as white.”

Oy Adam, so disingenuous. Then why did you come out right after the 2010 Olympics? Oh, I forgot; to sell books. How convenient.

 

[caseyedwards]

You mean Pence's bigotry.

It is bigotry but rippon is saying he is the truly religious one. Pence is using religion to further his hate but a Christian would be forgiving and embrace the sinner not shun them! Christians didn’t shun the lepers!

 

[SmallFairy]

Adam

That's all there is to it.

 

[analia]

It would be nice if they asked Adam about his skating once and awhile.

That conversation wouldn't be very long.

 

[muffinplus]

Oy Adam, so disingenuous. Then why did you come out right after the 2010 Olympics? Oh, I forgot; to sell books. How convenient.

You mean Johnny, not Adam?

 

[Aerobicidal]

Johnny Weir equating coming out as gay to coming out as white is possibly more ludicrous and politically messed up than anything that's been posted in this thread and that is really saying something.

 

[Skittl1321]

Adam!

Eric Radford will be the first ever openly gay male athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics.
Adam will be the first openly gay male American athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics.

Pairs skate first?

Adam also has the honor of first ever openly gay male athlete to be named to a winter Olympic team.


Also- I understand Johnny saying coming out isn't necessary. It SHOULDN'T be. But I think Adam stated it well when he said he came out publically because there are still boys out there who need a role model, who need to see that being gay is normal and okay.

 

[Vash01]

Respect for Adam.

 

[kwanette]

And now you are presenting yourself as an extreme expert on Christianity. Why don't you forgive Adam for making it on the Olympic team?

This..

 

[Vagabond]

Johnny Weir is white?!

 

[kittysk8ts]

FYI, this morning, Johnny elaborated on his original tweet in a series of tweets.

Also, here is a story from Outsports about the original tweet. Originally, I was a little bit concerned about Johnny's first tweet, but this article gave me a new perspective. (I am a hetero female, entirely supportive of HUMAN rights......but still on a bit of a learning curve.)

https://www.outsports.com/2018/1/18/16904714/johnny-weir-lgbt-winter-olympics

 

[Aerobicidal]

FYI, this morning, Johnny elaborated on his original tweet in a series of tweets.

Also, here is a story from Outsports about the original tweet. Originally, I was a little bit concerned about Johnny's first tweet, but this article gave me a new perspective. (I am a hetero female, entirely supportive of HUMAN rights......but still on a bit of a learning curve.)

https://www.outsports.com/2018/1/18/16904714/johnny-weir-lgbt-winter-olympics

Thank you for the link. I think the author is being very generous in his interpretation of Weir's comment, which to me equates sexuality and race even if it's just trying to say the fact the Johnny is gay is just as obvious as the fact that he is white.

Also, the idea of "coming out as white" is problematic in this context regardless of the intention, in my opinion.

I also think that, in the context of figure skating, it's problematic to say (as a generalization--with exceptions, which can certainly include Weir) that someone who seems obviously gay from a Western perspective may as well not come out of the closet. I'm not going to name examples here but I'm sure there are ones anyone reading this thread will be able to apply.

All that being said, I have the privilege of many years of experience studying queer and political theory and I know it isn't fair to hold people to exacting standards when they're tweeting about that kind of stuff. So maybe Johnny deserves more benefit and less doubt than I'm giving him.

 

[kittysk8ts]

Thank you for the link. I think the author is being very generous in his interpretation of Weir's comment, which to me equates sexuality and race even if it's just trying to say the fact the Johnny is gay is just as obvious as the fact that he is white.

Also, the idea of "coming out as white" is problematic in this context regardless of the intention, in my opinion.

I also think that, in the context of figure skating, it's problematic to say (as a generalization--with exceptions, which can certainly include Weir) that someone who seems obviously gay from a Western perspective may as well not come out of the closet. I'm not going to name examples here but I'm sure there are ones anyone reading this thread will be able to apply.

All that being said, I have the privilege of many years of experience studying queer and political theory and I know it isn't fair to hold people to exacting standards when they're tweeting about that kind of stuff. So maybe Johnny deserves more benefit and less doubt than I'm giving him.

Thank you for your perspective. It's helpful to me. This all has to happen (the good, the bad, the offensive, the ignorance and the learning) in order to get to a place where one's sexuality is a non-issue.

 

[LilJen]

@LilJen No, Trump played golf on MLK Day. So there is a huge irony in calling out Adam for not respecting the "tradition" of the VP as the head of the Olympic delegation, while turning a blind eye to all the "traditions" being broken left right and center by the current Administration.

Ah, good. You scared me there. I thought for ONCE Trump might (ugh) do something GOOD.

Adam!

Eric Radford will be the first ever openly gay male athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics.
Adam will be the first openly gay male American athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics.

There weren't any openly gay guys in 2014??? Or 2010?? I'm honestly surprised. And saddened.

 

[attyfan]

...

There weren't any openly gay guys in 2014??? Or 2010?? I'm honestly surprised. And saddened.

Would we have necessarily known about if there were other openly gay people on the Oly teams in 2010 or 2014? All athletes in all sports do not always get the same amount of publicity. Also, not all necessarily make public announcements. IIRC, in making his announcement to the general public in 2010, Brian Boitano mentioned that he came out years earlier to friends and relatives. could other athletes have acted similarly in 2010 or 2014?

 

[MsZem]

There weren't any openly gay guys in 2014??? Or 2010?? I'm honestly surprised. And saddened.

Wikipedia says: there were several LGBT athletes who had already come out before competing in Vancouver and Sochi, but apparently all were women.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Wikipedia says: there were several LGBT athletes who had already come out before competing in Vancouver and Sochi, but apparently all were women.

I don't see why at this point in "western history" anyone should come out.. Being Gay/Lesbian is normal, and if heterosexuals do not need to declare, why should the other? If society is now accepting, it should not require such proclamations. I am going to try a social experiment in liberal California at a next party, will stand in the middle of the room and say "I am straight".... and see how many people look weird at me... I am glad that Johnny Weir simply followed his style and behavior without any announcements. He got his attention another way, without "politics".. Our society is all about "hysterics" nowdays, if you yell something about "your identity and evil government" you have instant attention and recognition....

 

[Dr.Siouxs]

Our society is all about "hysterics" nowdays, if you yell something about "your identity and evil government" you have instant attention and recognition....

This is unfortunately true. Victimhood is social currency.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Except for the part about being happy to be represented. If being gay is like being white, then what is there to mention?

I'm not surprised that women were out: two of the most decorated US and Canadian women's hockey players just had a baby.

 

[overedge]

This is unfortunately true. Victimhood is social currency.

Adam was pretty clear in his statement about how Pence's attitudes and actions lead to unjust victimization of particular demographic groups. He certainly wasn't celebrating his victimhood in saying that.

 

[WildRose]

I’m sure most gay skaters in Canada are out to friends, fellow skaters, coaches, officials etc. Skating is a small community - everyone knows everyone else, and it’s a lot like dance - nobody cares if you are gay or straight, it’s just not a big deal. Eric officially “came out” to the public, others like Jeff Buttle never saw the need to formally announce anything, he just lives his life. I hope that the day comes soon when everyone can do that, and no one ever has to announce anything, because nobody cares who you love, just that you are happy.

 

[VGThuy]

I don't see why at this point in "western history" anyone should come out.. Being Gay/Lesbian is normal, and if heterosexuals do not need to declare, why should the other? If society is now accepting, it should not require such proclamations. I am going to try a social experiment in liberal California at a next party, will stand in the middle of the room and say "I am straight".... and see how many people look weird at me... I am glad that Johnny Weir simply followed his style and behavior without any announcements. He got his attention another way, without "politics".. Our society is all about "hysterics" nowdays, if you yell something about "your identity and evil government" you have instant attention and recognition....

There are many places in this country where coming out is still a big deal. The reason why coming out is so important for many is because the world is default straight until otherwise informed. People assume everyone is straight unless they do something that seems "gay" which goes into conformity to traditional gender roles and not behaving in a traditional, expected way makes people assume someone must be not straight and that's a whole other topic. Even then, people still won't receive confirmation until there's some sort of declaration. For many LGBTQ folks, coming out is a way of self-accepting yourself and to provide notice to everyone you know that you are gay so don't expect the same things you'd expect from everyone else. There's so much in our society that perpetuates hetero-normative models that most people don't even notice it. However, if same-sex couples acted casually the way different-sex couples do in every day life, they would still get looks and be seen as acting out-of-the-ordinary in many places. Maybe not in big urban areas like San Francisco or New York City, but they would in many other places. If you were to go to where I'm from in the lower-to-working class suburb around New Orleans where much of the South exists that doesn't exist in the city proper, then you would get why role models coming out is important.

Adam was pretty clear in his statement about how Pence's attitudes and actions lead to unjust victimization of particular demographic groups. He certainly wasn't celebrating his victimhood in saying that.

Absolutely. I think lack of exposure makes people think other people are just wallowing in self-pity and things aren't that bad. Yes, there are people who are just dramatic or like to be a part of outrage culture, but most people are just living their lives and making observations that align with what some characterize as "victimization" even if they don't express it in that specific term.