Olympic Figure Skater Johnny Weir Confirms: ‘Stars on Ice’ Deemed Him “Not Family Friendly” Enough to Perform
March 12, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Earlier this week we reported that U.S. Champion and Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir had been denied a spot on the 2010 ‘Stars on Ice Tour,’ because he is “not family friendly.” We obtained the information from a source who wishes to remain anonymous. In an interview with Access Hollywood on Friday, Weir confirmed that he will be excluded from the tour after tour sponsors deemed him “not family friendly.”
“It’s for real,” Weir said. “I’ve never been invited to do ‘Stars on Ice’ before, which is the only figure skating tour in the U.S. It’s disappointing that I can’t perform for my American fans… all because I’m not ‘family friendly’ enough.”
Following the news GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios issued a statement denouncing Johnny Weir’s rejection from ‘Stars on Ice.’
“Johnny Weir is a two time Olympian and three time U.S. champion. Other athletes of his caliber would be granted the opportunity to perform during national tours like Stars on Ice. By choosing not to bring the performances and talent of Johnny Weir to American audiences, Stars on Ice is reinforcing an unfortunate double standard that is too often applied to gay athletes and athletes perceived to be gay.
“GLAAD calls on Stars on Ice to invite all eligible figure skaters because today people of all gender expressions and sexual orientations are part of the fabric of our culture. Athletes of Weir’s caliber deserve the same rights to perform on this, and any, tour.
“We urge community members to speak out against this apparent double standard and call on Stars on Ice and corporate sponsor Smucker’s to demand equal opportunities for all athletes.”
Take Action Now:
GLAAD has generated an online petition telling the sponsors of ‘Stars on Ice’ that it is unacceptable to exclude Weir from the tour’s lineup because they find him “not family friendly.”
Contact information for ‘Stars on Ice’ and Smuckers (a corporate sponsor of ‘Stars on Ice’):
Jennifer Cosgrove, Spokesperson ‘Stars on Ice’
jcosgrove@rbcpr.com
Phone: (201) 760-0200 Ext. 107
Maribeth Badertscher, Director of Corporate Communications, Smuckers
Maribeth.badertscher@jmsmucker.com
Phone: 1-330-682-3000
GLAAD will continue to post any new developments. Be sure to check GLAADblog.org for updates.
Related Posts:Johnny Weir Deemed “Not Family Friendly” Enough to Perform in Stars on Ice Tour
March 11, 2010 by Lauren Mattia, GLAAD's Entertainment/Advertising Media Fellow
GLAAD has learned from a source that wishes to remain anonymous that sponsors of the Stars on Ice Tour, which include Smuckers and IMG Entertainment, have refused to allow 3-time US National Champion and 2-time Olympian Johnny Weir to participate because they claim that he is “not family friendly.”
Update: see our new blog post: Olympic Figure Skater Johnny Weir Confirms: ‘Stars on Ice’ Deemed Him “Not Family Friendly” Enough to Perform, March 12, 2010.
Championship skater Johnny Weir not allowed to perform at Stars on Ice Tour
To say that Weir is “not family friendly” would be a clear jab at his perceived sexual orientation. Weir is extremely involved with his family. He is putting his younger brother through college, and supports the family financially because his father’s disability prohibits him from working. Weir’s dedication to his family can be clearly documented in the Sundance series, Be Good Johnny Weir, which follows him and his family and friends through his life and career as a championship skater.
Weir’s performance and costume style is sometimes considered flashier than those of other skaters, leading to questions about his perceived sexual orientation. While Weir has not officially announced his sexual orientation, he has garnered a significant amount of LGBT fans. He remains one of the most outspoken skaters today, and won an online poll asking fans “Who would you like to see guest star on Stars on Ice?”
Weir recently announced that he is taking a break from skating in order to “rework his technique.” This news does not release the Stars on Ice sponsors from asking him to participate. The door should be opened to him as one of the most influential skaters in the field today. GLAAD’s President Jarrett Barrios spoke out against homophobia within the sports community in a recent Huffington Post piece.
GLAAD encourages its members and anyone concerned about this type of exclusion and prejudice to send a letter here and sign a supporter’s petition here.
Related Posts:NCAA Scraps Focus on the Family Ad because of the Group’s Anti-Gay Stance
February 26, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has pulled an ad from its website that was produced by the conservative Christian group ‘Focus on the Family’ because of that group’s anti-gay stance.
According to The Associated Press, “the NCAA made the decision after some of its members — including faculty and athletic directors — expressed concern that the evangelical group’s stance against gay and lesbian relationships conflicted with the NCAA’s policy of inclusion regardless of sexual orientation.”
Interestingly, the NCAA website is maintained by CBS Sports and the ad was part of Focus on the Family’s Superbowl advertising package. That deal ignited controversy earlier this month after CBS aired a ‘Focus on the Family’ anti-abortion ad during Superbowl XLIV. the AP reports, however, that while CBS sells ads for the NCAA website, the NCAA has the final word in deciding which ads appear on the site.
To read more about GLAAD’s work to demand higher standards in CBS’ advertising, click here.
According to the AP, The ad pulled by the NCAA, “featured a father holding his son and the words, ‘All I want for my son is for him to grow up knowing how to do the right thing.’” It also “included the address of Focus on the Family’s Web site and the slogan, ‘Celebrate Family. Celebrate Life.’”
Blogger Jeremy Hooper at GoodasYou.org writes that ‘Focus on the Family’ is denying that the NCAA had any credible reason to pull the ad, but notes also how the group fails to acknowledge the overwhelming amount of anti-gay content on its own site.
NCAA spokesperson Bob Williams said that “the decision to pull the ad was based not on the message but on the messenger.”
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of the NCAA’s decision to pull advertising produced by the anti-gay group ‘Focus on the Family’. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:No Gold Medal for Homophobic Olympics Coverage
February 26, 2010 by Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD
Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD, wrote about the problematic media coverage of Olympic Men’s Figure Skating, in The Huffington Post on Friday, February 26, 2010. Read the full article at The Huffington Post or on GLAAD Blog.
Jarrett Barrios
This post was originally published at The Huffington Post. See original post.
It was last week that MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Scarborough and co-host Willie Geist yukked it up about the Olympics, choosing to get their laugh lines in the area of Men’s Figure Skating:
WILLIE GEIST: Joe, I know you’re very, very excited about the uh Men’s Figure Skating tonight. It should be a real battle.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Well, it’s always, every four years I look forward to it. It’s a great chance for me to do a couple things at once. It’s usually where I get my nails buffed and polished while sitting there watching Men’s Figure Skating.
GUEST COMMENTATOR: One thing it does do though, it gives you a preview of what Willie will be wearing when he comes back here to New York.
Perhaps Joe and company should be congratulated for keeping their homophobia and gender stereotyping to at least a PG level. What, with talk radio personalities like Dallas KRLD-FM’s Gregg Henson “quipping” about US figure skater Johnny Weir: “We know you’re gay, queen. It’s your choice to live that ‘lifestyle.’” Gotta love talk radio for not holding anything back, huh?
As noted in GLAAD Blog’s coverage analysis, in both national and international sports media outlets, homophobic comments and jabs about male figure skaters who break gender norms, Johnny Weir in particular, dominated sports-oriented talk radio and television throughout the Vancouver Winter Olympics. One commentator even suggested Weir should undergo gender verification testing and another suggested Weir become a U.S. entry into the Women’s skating event.
The list of famous Olympians who are or were openly gay or lesbian is, well, short. And it’s easy to see why when outlets like the Chicago Tribune post polls asking whether people ‘cared’ whether Weir was gay or not when he competed during the 2006 Winter Games. The sports commentator’s impulse to analysis – even apparently harmless polls like the Chicago Tribune’s–is born of a deep and deeply troubling assumption in the minds of sports commentators that “it’s a man’s world” and that means gay people or those who break gender norms aren’t welcome.
The Olympics are intended to bring together a global community to celebrate diversity and sportsmanship. Can it be–even if for just these two weeks–Morning Joe lets Johnny Weir do his triple lutzes and lets the rest of it go? Or that editors and producers sit up and take notice: the whole world is watching and that means they’re watching the homophobic coverage and commentary, too, that perpetuates stereotypes, feeds a climate of intolerance, and ultimately can lead to violent acts against gay and transgender people.
At GLAAD, we triage cases everyday of bad behavior in the media because such anti-gay ridicule trickles down to shape how individuals treat members of our community and families. How does that happen? Here’s a story. A personal one. My son was ridiculed to the point of tears on his third day of baseball practice last year because he told some of his new teammates that he had two dads. Where did these boys get the idea that it was okay to say these things? We already know the answer–and that’s why Morning Joe and all the other put-down artists who call themselves journalists need a wakeup call.
Is this muzzling the media? How about we ask the question back to them: why are you refusing to cover those lesser-known Olympians who are out as gay or lesbian? This year’s problematic Olympics coverage comes after a refusal by mainstream press to cover those openly LGBT Olympic athletes like diver Matthew Mitcham during the 2008 Summer games and omit mentions of their partners in profile pieces.
To be sure, after GLAAD spoke with editors and producers regarding coverage of Weir, apologies issued forth. Stories were corrected online. That’s all important. But the real question is why it happened in the first place. And why it will happen again. To the sports media: Heal thyself. The industry needs to reflect deeply on how it covers sports, and how that coverage perpetuates stereotypes that can lead to intolerance and violence.
In the end, it seems Johnny Weir’s words sum it up the best:
“I’m totally for freedom on speech and voicing your opinion [but] I want them to think before they speak. I want them to think about not only the person they’re talking about but also the other people like that person. I want them to think about the other generations of people that they’re affecting by talking like that.”
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The author is the president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and a former Massachusetts state senator.
This post was originally published at The Huffington Post. See original post.
Related Posts:Some Media Miss the Mark in Covering Olympic Men’s Figure Skating
February 18, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
In recent days, GLAAD has received several reports indicating that some national media outlets are missing the mark with their coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
OutSports.com reported today that an afternoon radio host on 105.3 KRLD-Dallas made defamatory comments about American Olympic figure skater, Johnny Weir.
“Yeah we know you’re gay, queen,” radio host Gregg Henson reportedly quipped. “It’s your choice to live that ‘lifestyle’.”
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough also made unfair inferences about the Men’s Figure Skating event on Thursday morning’s program.
WILLIE GEIST: Joe, I know you’re very, very excited about the uh Men’s Figure Skating tonight. It should be a real battle.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Well, it’s always, every four years I look forward to it. It’s a great chance for me to do a couple things at once. It’s usually where I get my nails buffed and polished while sitting there watching Men’s Figure Skating.
GUEST COMMENTATOR: One thing it does do though, it gives you a preview of what Willie will be wearing when he comes back here to New York.
GLAAD will be contacting both KRLD-Dallas and MSNBC’s Morning Joe to voice concern about their faulty coverage.
The Olympic Games draw the world’s fiercest athletes together in a global celebration of sport and athleticism. It is unacceptable that these Olympians are subject to undue mockery about their perceived sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
If you see or hear unfair Olympic coverage that degrades athletes on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, contact GLAAD’s National News team at: nationalnews@glaad.org. Be sure to include the outlet’s name, the date of the problematic coverage and a brief synopsis of the offense.
GLAAD will continue to monitor the media’s coverage of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:First-Ever Olympic PRIDE House Exhibits Portraits of LGBT Athletes
February 16, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
PRIDE House, the first-ever Olympic pavilion catering to LGBT athletes, coaches and sports fans, will exhibit American photographer Jeff Sheng’s celebrated photo series Fearless during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
In 2003, Sheng began photographing over young athletes across the United States who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. These courageous individuals continue to defy stereotyped images of LGBT athletes and challenge homophobia on the field and in the locker room. Now, the Fearless series features over 100 amateur athletes and has travelled to over 40 high school and college campuses nationwide. (Photos from the series can be found below)
“I started the project to encourage a discussion about homophobia in sports and the way it adversely affects gay and lesbian athletes,” Sheng told ABC’s World News Tonight. “What I hope that people get when they look at the images is that they see pictures of people that they recognize – images that look like their friends, maybe even people in their family – and that they begin to look at the gay and lesbian community in a different way.”
Sheng travelled to Canada to photograph 14 Canadian athletes for the Olympic exhibition. The athletes represented participate in water polo, rugby, soccer, martial arts, and hockey and curling. PRIDE House will feature large prints of those 14 athletes, as well as smaller prints from the American series.
Sheng’s latest project, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Volume I, is the first-ever photobook that features the portraits and stories of gay and lesbian service members currently serving under the U.S. military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. (To read more about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Volume I, click here)
For more information or to view Fearless in its entirety, visit http://www.fearlesscampustour.org/
Gay Christian Singer Performs at Official Olympic Venue
February 12, 2010 by Ann @ GLAAD
He came out to his friends and family at 24 and decided to make music with a message: it’s OK to be who you are. A video of his up-beat song “Today” was played on the jumbo tron screen for Olympic audiences and David will play it live on an official Olympic stage this weekend to inspire both competitors and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith.
Brendan Burke, Young Crusader for Equality in Professional Sports, Dies in Tragic Accident
February 8, 2010 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
Brendan Burke, the openly gay son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, Brian Burke, died on Saturday after succumbing to injuries he suffered in a weather-related car accident.
Burke, 21, captured international attention after sharing his moving coming out story with mainstream media in 2009.
But, now, telling your secret to Dad is another story. Molly’s reassuring hand guides you to the couch for the moment of truth. It’s time to tell Dad, a most public example of hockey machismo, that you are gay.
Finally, you say it. Awkwardly. You basically stumble along trying not to make it a big deal before just blurting out, “And I love you guys and wanted to tell you that I’m gay.”
There is a brief silence.
Dad is surprised when you tell him that you are gay. He never suspected at all.
Your stepmom speaks first: “OK, Brendan, that’s OK.” And gives you a reassuring smile. Then your dad says, “Of course, we still love you. This won’t change a thing.”
GLAAD celebrated ESPN’s report of Brendan’s story in Dec. 2009 and awarded the broadcast giant a spot on our “Best of National News” list. Shortly thereafter, “We Love You, This Won’t Change a Thing” went on to win a 2010 GLAAD Media Award nomination for the article’s superb account of Brendan’s bravery.
GLAAD joins the LGBT community, its allies and sports fans across the nation in mourning the devastating loss of Brendan Burke. Brendan’s tremendous courage will continue to inspire families everywhere to love and embrace their gay and lesbian sons and daughters.
Related Posts:International Rugby Legend Gareth Thomas: ‘I’m Gay’
December 21, 2009 by Seth Adam, GLAAD's National News Fellow
International rugby legend, Gareth Thomas, revealed that he is gay in an interview published in the UK-based Daily Mail on Saturday.
“It’s been really tough for me, hiding who I really am,” Thomas told the Mail. “And I don’t want it to be like that for the next young person who wants to play rugby, or some frightened young kid. I don’t know if my life is going to be easier because I’m out, but if it helps someone else… then it will have been worth it.”
Thomas said he came out to close friends in late 2006.
Thomas is the first top-level rugby athlete to reveal that he is gay, according to CNN.
Of Thomas’s accomplishments, Reuters noted that he is Wales’s “most capped player with 100 appearances who has scored 41 test tries to place him ninth on the all-time list.”
“I’m proud of who I am,” Thomas says. “I feel I have achieved everything I could ever possibly have hoped to achieve out of rugby, and I did it being gay.”
CNN’s original story about Gareth Thomas’ decision to come out publicly as a gay man contained three problematic phrases that included the words “admitted,” and “confessed.” GLAAD called the network to voice concerns and explain that such words are highly offensive and suggest that being gay is somehow shameful or inherently secretive.
CNN listened and changed the story immediately; replacing the terms with appropriate words like “revealed,” “discussed,” and “came out.” GLAAD commends CNN for bringing this story in line with the most fair and accurate standards.
We will continue to follow the media’s coverage of international rugby champion Gareth Thomas’s coming out story. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:UPDATE: Jim Harbaugh’s Official Statement
December 4, 2009 by Ted Rybka, GLAAD's Director of Sports Media
Yesterday, some media outlets and GLAAD constituents reported on a YouTube video of Stanford’s football coach, Jim Harbaugh, swearing at an official. The video appears to show Harbaugh screaming an anti-gay slur.
After reaching out to Stanford, Harbaugh told GLAAD that he did curse but did not use an anti-gay slur. He also said that an official statement would be forthcoming.
Today, Stanford sent GLAAD an official release.
Statement from Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
“I would like to state unequivocally the alleged anti-gay remark that some have attributed to me did not come from my mouth and any such assertion is hurtful to me, members of my family and the gay community. Those who know me know I never use slurs under any circumstances; the bias reflected by spiteful slurs is simply not in my heart.”
GLAAD will continue to investigate any reports of defamation. To report an incident of defamation in the media, please click here.
Related Posts:Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh Tells GLAAD: YouTube Video is Wrong
December 3, 2009 by Ted Rybka, GLAAD's Director of Sports Media
After receiving reports from constituents regarding a video on YouTube depicting Stanford football coach’s apparent use of an anti-gay slur, I reached out to Stanford University. The video, taken from ABC’s broadcast, shows coach Jim Harbaugh swearing at an official over a penalty. Although the audio is muted, it appears as if Harbaugh screams the word “f***ot.”
Harbaugh called back to personally state he never said the word “f***ot.”
He said, “It did not come out of my mouth. It would not come out of my mouth. It’s not in my heart to ever say that.”
Harbaugh acknowledged that he did curse but did not say an anti-gay slur.
After discussing the need to create safe spaces for both LGBT athletes and for athletes who have LGBT friends and family members, Harbaugh said the university would be releasing a statement denouncing the video.
GLAAD will post Stanford’s statement as soon as it is available.
Related Posts:Educating ESPN.com Readers on the Dangers of Homophobia in Sports
November 23, 2009 by Emily Witko, Sports Media Intern @ GLAAD
Recently, our president, Jarrett Barrios, wrote an article for ESPN.com outlining the dangers of homophobia in sports. The piece began with a condensed version of the Larry Johnson saga, and then shifted into a detailed description of GLAAD’s Sports Media Program.
Barrios explains GLAAD’s zero-tolerance approach to Larry Johnson’s use of anti-gay slurs and his subsequent suspension from the Chiefs. Despite his personal punishment, we are disappointed that the NFL is not using this as an important educational tool on the dangers of anti-gay attitudes and words. The sports world remains a very hostile environment for LGBT players, coaches, fans and allies “because when anti-gay epithets go uncorrected, it sends a message that it’s OK to denigrate gay people and their families.”
GLAAD’s Sports Media Program will continue to address the needs of amateur and professional athletes, until “openly gay athletes will be cheered, booed and treated just the same as their teammates.”
The accessible and prominent article will reach a wide audience of readers and offers and hopefully spark conversations. The article demonstrates to LGBT readers that they have a voice within sports culture, but it also serves to change the hearts and minds of many avid fans.
Related Posts:UPDATE: Castor Semenya to Keep Gold Medal
November 19, 2009 by Emily Witko, Sports Media Intern @ GLAAD
This past August, Castor Semenya ran her 800-meter race in 1:55.45, faster than any other woman in the world this year. Her dramatic win and personal improvement elicited people to question her sex, which eventually led to an investigation. Reports of her gender-verification testing were leaked to the press saying that Semenya is intersex.
Today, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced that they will allow Semenya to keep the gold medal and prize money she won at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany. The IAAF also made it clear that her official gender-verification testing results will remain confidential.
In a statement on their website, the South African Sports Ministry said “We have agreed with the IAAF that whatever scientific tests were conducted legally within the IAAF regulations will be treated as a confidential matter between patient and doctor. As such there will be no public announcement of what the panel of scientists has found. We urge all South Africans and other people to respect this professional ethical and moral way of doing things.”
Now Semenya can be recognized as simply an amazing competitor and running superstar.
Related Posts:“Language Expert” Frank Luntz Uses Anti-Gay Humor on CBS
November 17, 2009 by Emily Witko, Sports Media Intern @ GLAAD
Sunday, Dr. Frank Luntz appeared on NFL Today on CBS to discuss the communication skills of football players and coaches. Luntz is the author of several business books, including Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear. He also owns a company called “The Word Doctors”, which specializes in “message creation and image management”.
NFL Today invited Luntz to the program as a self-professed “language expert”, to determine which players communicated well, and which did not. One player that fell into the “bad” category was Terrell Owens. A short news clip of Owens shows him wearing sunglasses, a hat, and earrings in both ears.
Luntz expressed his disapproval of Owen’s appearance by saying that “millions of young people look to these football players as role models…lose the sunglasses, lose the hat, take it seriously.”
Another commentator asked Luntz what he thought of Owen’s earrings. Luntz’s snarky reply was “that may work in San Francisco.”
In one breath, Luntz speaks of being a good communicator and role model, and in the next, utters a slightly-veiled gay joke. It’s time that Luntz and CBS realize that men of all orientations wear earrings, that the LGBT community does not exist solely in San Francisco, and that the LGBT community can no longer be used as a punchline for tired old jokes.
GLAAD is reaching out to CBS Sports for an apology and to educate them on how words and images matter.
You can view the video here:
Chris Jericho Gives Insincere Apology After Using Anti-Gay Slur
November 5, 2009 by Emily Witko, Sports Media Intern @ GLAAD
WWE Wrestler, Chris Jericho, made an appearance at the Sacramento Horror Film Festival two weeks ago to promote his new movie, Albino Farm. On stage at the screening, Jericho made several offensive comments against Middle Easterners and the LGBT community.
Jericho repeatedly referred to the MC of the event as “Hadji” which prompted him to check Jericho’s cup for alcohol. In response, Jericho said “it’s apple juice, f*g.” Also, at the end of his stint on stage, Jericho announced the headline that he expected to see on T
MZ the following day: “Jericho Says Albinos are Gay.”
Just a few short months ago Jericho’s boss, Vince McMahon, apologized for his offensive language and agreed “that people should be more cognizant about their usage of the word ‘gay’”.
After being shown the video documenting his offensive language, Jericho said “I realize some inappropriate comments were made and I apologize if I offended anybody. Just know that everyone on stage was having a blast and we all shared a drink and a laugh after! The good news is I got my wish of being posted on TMZ.”
In response to Jericho’s behavior and apology, Jarrett Barrios, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) said, ”Just three months ago Chris Jericho’s boss and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon acknowledged to GLAAD that words matter. There is no time, context or occasion in which it is acceptable to utter racist and anti-gay slurs. Jericho’s hollow apology ‘if (he) offended anyone’ is a template used by many and is insincere and worn.”
Related Posts:
