Johnny Weir Speaks Out Against Homophobic Olympic Liaisson
Former Olympian and anti-equality activistPeter Vidmar has been chosen to serve as U.S. liaison for the International Olympic Committee — and Olympic skater Johnny Weir is definitely not pleased.
Vidmar comes to the position of chef de mission with an illustrious background in Olympic-level gymnastics, having taken home numerous gold and silver medals and serving prominently on several U.S. Olympic Committee boards. However, away from the pommel horse and board room, Vidmar is an outspoken anti-marriage equality activist, going as far as to donate $2,000 to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in support of California’s Proposition 8.
The Chicago Tribune reports on Weir’s strongly-worded opposition to Vidmar’s appointment:
…a prominent gay U.S. Olympian, figure skater Johnny Weir, said it was “disgraceful” to have a person with Vidmar’s views in a position, chief of mission, that makes him the symbolic head of a United States Olympic team.“It’s wrong,” Weir said in a telephone interview. “I certainly wouldn’t want to be represented by someone who is anti gay marriage. It isn’t just about marriage, it is being allowed equal rights as Americans.“The fact this man who is very publicly against something that may be represented on the American team is disgraceful…”Among the six “Fundamental Principles of Olympism” in the Olympic Charter is, “Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic movement.”Weir, a two-time Olympian and three-time U.S. champion, said Vidmar’s open support of anti-gay marriage causes “defeats the purpose” of his statements about respect for everyone.“Most people would have an issue if the chef (de mission) publicly was against Asian-Americans or African-Americans, so it should be dealt with if the chef is anti-gay,” said Weir, among the few U.S. Olympians to say they are homosexual.
When questioned about their decision, the U.S. Olympic Committee danced around the issue of Vidmar’s support of Proposition 8 and instead focused on his religious views as a Latter-Day Saint. “We respect Peter’s right to religious freedom, and we understand and respect he fact that many Americans do not share his views.” The Committee went on to state that “Peter is a tireless advocate for sport in this country and someone who has inspired many with his successes in the world of sport. That is why we chose him as our chef for the London Games.”
However, gay news blog Box Turtle Bulletin asserts that the Committee may change their song if advertising dollars end up being at stake. “In today’s highly competitive television market where a downtick of just a few percentage of viewers can cost the Olympics millions, and in which corporations (including those who fund the Olympics) are supportive of gay equality and very hesitant to align with negative associations, this is a risky way to operate.”
by Nick Matos
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