In praise of Johnny Weir....
Christie Blatchford gets it right...and he's cute to boot...
I don't know where this kid comes from - well, I know what town he's from, Quarryville, Pa., and that his parents worked in a nuclear plant, and that he has a brother. What I mean is that I don't know where he got the nuts to be so completely, fully himself. In a city now chock-a-block with role models, he may be the finest because his message is so simple and yet so difficult to live: To thine own self be true.
He's the skater targeted by the animal-rights lunatics, all because he had a little patch of white fox fur on his favourite costume. It broke his heart, but he's ditched it for Vancouver because he didn't want the fuss to detract from what he does on the ice. Because of the threats he's received, he's staying in the Olympic Village, though he'd prefer a hotel, because he figures it's safer, and is rooming with ice dancer Tanith Belbin, a Canadian who now competes for the United States.
He has a reality TV show on the Sundance Channel called Be Good, Johnny Weir.
And he's easily the single best quote of the Games. The other day, for instance, he predicted Thursday's long program, arguably the toughest 41/2 minutes in sport, is "going to be a catfight and I'm happy to be a part of it."
On his website, he writes well and, now that I've heard him speak, authentically in his own voice, of his love of the U.S. singer Lady Gaga, good bags and his two little dogs. Once, asked about his sexuality, he replied that there were some things he didn't talk about, among them "who I sleep with" and "my moisturizer." He has great dignity.
posted by GayandRight @ 12:18 AM
2 Comments:
Agreed, obviously a dedicated and talented athlete. I like the "who I sleep with" remark. (No, I'm not gay)
have you ever considered that saying he doesn't want to say who he is sleeping with means he is NOT being fully himself? the gay community has a fair point, in that one is not 'gay' until he/she says he/she is. this way, 'refusing to answer', no one in the media can refer to you as gay for fear of a lawsuit.
but while technically it shouldn't be anyones business who one sleeps with, we all now that our society is just. not. evolved enough to be there yet, and that when one is indeed gay, one should stick up for his community by making it clear.
thats just what i think.
if he cannot say he is gay because the skating association told him he can't, that's another thing. i would really hope that once he is free of them, that he comes out.
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