Brian Boitano announces he's gay before trip to Sochi

Mathman · Dec 20, 2013

yelyoh said:
He has chosen for whatever reason not to allow his life private to be national news.

TontoK said:
I respect anyone, private citizen or famous person, who simply doesn't want their personal life to be publicly written about and discussed.

yelyoh said:
And you are???

ven said:
I think you are very much offended by it, otherwise you would congratulate them or simply not care. I can tell it makes you uncomfortable, and that's all on you.

??? What are you guys picking on TontoK for? TontoK said, in response to yelyoh’s first remark, that he respects Boitano’s long-time policy of not making his private life national news. Brian’s recent announcement pretty much says the same thing – I am many things, let’s move on.

Tonichelle · Dec 20, 2013

Mathman said:
??? What are you guys picking on TontoK for? TontoK said, in response to yelyoh’s first remark, that he respects Boitano’s long-time policy of not making his private life national news. Brian’s recent announcement pretty much says the same thing – I am many things, let’s move on.

exactly.

Obama did mention Boitano in the press conference today and he admits that it was a decision based on the human rights question - he says he wants to show that sports don't discriminate. The winners aren't based on a sexual orientation but what they do on the field/court [ice]. I'm paraphrasing, but as much I DON'T agree with Obama on most everything, we agree on this statement.

Mathman · Dec 20, 2013

FlattFan said:
Personally, I think it's a biotchy passive aggressive queen move.

I wonder what Putin will do in retaliation -- make us take Snowden back?

Ven · Dec 20, 2013

Mathman said:
??? What are you guys picking on TontoK for?

Criticizing would be a more accurate word, and I gave the reason why. If Miki Ando announces she is giving birth to a child, is that too personal for TorontoK? Should Miki have kept her mouth shut and kept her personal life to herself? What if a skater gets engaged, should they refrain from telling everyone? What if they discover they have cancer or some other serious disease? Will people tell them to shut up and stop putting their personal life out in public view?

No?...ok, well then why should Brian or any other gay person be told they are annoying for talking about their personal life? As a straight male myself, I believe it's because some people are not as comfortable with their sexuality as they proclaim. They know that in this day and age they are stigmatized for being homophobic, so they don't quite want to go there, but at the same time, the subject makes them uncomfortable, and thus you hear from them "ok it's not a big deal but let's not talk about it either".

If someone who is gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender or whatever wants to talk about their personal life, good for them. I don't think it's a big deal either, but they probably lived their whole life hiding from homophobes and in a lot of case their own family. The fact they have found peace and happiness with their life and they want to talk about it, good for them. We don't need to make a big deal about it and stop the world and throw a party, but at the same time they deserve a pat on the back, a smile, or a friendly hug, whatever, and then let's all move on together in this world.

Tonichelle · Dec 20, 2013

Brian asked for privacy all throughout his career and did even in his statement.

TontoK did not say Brian was annoying. Others have suggested it, but not TK.

Mathman · Dec 20, 2013

To Ven: Like Toni, I got a completely different understanding of TontoK's post. TontoK did not criticize Boitano for making an announcement now, he just said that he respects Boitano's right not to make a big deal of his personal life if that's the way he wants to play it. TonntK did not say anything about Brian or anyone one else being annoying.

About Miki Ando's baby, I think it is a safe bet that TontoK has no particular feeling about this one way or another. If Miki wants to make an announcement, OK. If she doesn't, OK.

Ven · Dec 20, 2013

Well, if I misunderstood the tone of TontoK's post, then I apologize. Sometimes it's hard to parse meaning on internet posts.

My post was directed at anyone who would tell Brian or someone else "if you're gay it's ok just keep it to yourself".

Mrs. P · Dec 20, 2013

I don't see this as an attention seeking move. The only thing he provided was a statement through his publicist. He probably knew the question would come up at some point so he opted to set the record straight and leave it at that.

If he was really trying to make a deal about it, there would have been a press conference or a tell all book. There was neither.

TontoK · Dec 20, 2013

Wow, I've been out and about for a while, and I had no idea my comment would generate such discussion.

Let me clear it up: I don't care if Brian is straight or gay. He's one of my favorite skaters. I enjoy his artistry and athleticism.

I don't think he's less entitled than any of us to a private life that is conducted off the front pages.

By virtue of his announcement, we can assume he's ready to "come out." Good for him. I'd have been equally fine had he chosen not to.

I cannot, for the life of me, find what's so offensive about anything I've said.

Mrs. P · Dec 20, 2013

Phil Hersh thought this was a great commentary on Brian's statement and I agree: http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/66090832/

Naturally, the statement invited backlash online, as surely as mold breeds in dark, damp places. The "why do gays have to advertise their sex lives'' crowd came out in force, as did the "no one announces that they're straight'' camp. They must have missed the point that Boitano would love not to talk about this. He'd prefer to be treated exactly like a straight person. But Vladimir Putin and his ilk won't countenance equality. They have criminalized behavior that straight people take for granted, like holding hands in public, identifying romantic partners, even drooling over a celebrity of the opposite sex.

"It is my desire to be defined by my achievements and my contributions,'' Boitano said in his statement. Who wouldn't want the same?

Olympia · Dec 20, 2013

I was reading about film director George Cukor recently. He directed many classics, including the Katharine Hepburn Little Women. Everyone who knew him knew he was gay, so he wasn't exactly closeted, but in those days, such information couldn't get out to the general public without destroying a career. The article pointed out that over the years, Cukor developed the habit of reticence, and it colored his work as well as his life. In fact, it's the reason he never wrote an autobiography. Times are different now, but the use of the word reticent reminds me that there are people who have this trait by temperament. Some people don't enjoy talking about themselves, and Brian seems to be one of them. I think he'd be equally guarded if he were straight. People who feel this way should be able to be true to themselves, and there's no reason for us to wish that they were more like Johnny Weir. After all, we already have Johnny Weir. Vive la difference!

WeakAnkles · Dec 20, 2013

Mathman said:
This appointment is a singular honor for Boitano, and he is responding with the maturity, grace and aplomb that we have come to expect from him.

I still say, hats off to President Obama. His hands were basically tied. He could not ask U.S. athletes to boycott the games. He could not pass out signs to American athletes and visitors to Russia and encourage them to march around the Olympic stadium shouting slogans. It looked like his only option was to make some weak remarks about human rights violations being a bad thing, then turn his attention to the farm bill. His actual response is quite brilliant, IMHO.

Billie Jean King sits on the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Right beside the State Department’s senior advisor for public diplomacy, Michelle Kwan, whose best friend in skating is Brian Boitano. I’m not saying Michelle is behind this, but…

Absolutely. It's politically very very savvy. And with France and Germany also declining to send their top political officials, it's not going to be quite the party Putin planned.

drivingmissdaisy · Dec 20, 2013

I think it's important for the celebrities to feel comfortable coming out with a backlash. Yes, one's sex life is personal but it isn't about advertising whom you have sex with. It's more about giving homosexuals role models so they don't feel like there isn't anyone out there like them.

wordsworthgirl · Dec 21, 2013

Ziggy said:
By selecting openly gay athletes and no high ranking officials, Obama is making a clear statement against the Russian laws as well as increasing the visibility of LGBT athletes and the issues they, as well as the LGBT community as a whole, face. And that's as much as he can do.

Agreed. and I thought Brian's statement was so eloquent and moving. There was no need for him to publicly declare himself gay until now. I wouldn't describe him as a pawn. He is too strong and intelligent a person to be anyone's pawn. He's obviously decided that it's now time for him to make a statement to the world and represent our country and our values with integrity and force.

Jedi · Dec 21, 2013

Who truly knows Brian's motive for "coming out now". To help a good cause politically or perhaps for marketing purposes- I knowthat sounds mean but he has a new show. Still Brian coming ut officialy is like so so sonot a big s urprise. He was so far outhe was almost in.

Olympia · Dec 21, 2013

Marketing purposes? I think that even today, a gay athlete loses marketing value rather than gaining it. A gay actor still loses potential jobs because except for rare actors such as Neil Patrick Harris, producers fear that audiences won't buy them as romantic leads. Your other suggestion, that he did it to help a good cause politically, or (a more personal aspect of that goal) to support other athletes who are still actively competing) seems more likely, I'd say.

As you say, it isn't surprising news to most of us skate fans. It might be more unexpected to the general public, who knew his name but who did not watch most of his recent on-ice or off-ice appearances or any of his interviews. They might just know that he won an OGM.

KKonas · Dec 21, 2013

Jedi said:
Who truly knows Brian's motive for "coming out now". To help a good cause politically or perhaps for marketing purposes- I knowthat sounds mean but he has a new show. Still Brian coming ut officialy is like so so sonot a big s urprise. He was so far outhe was almost in.

Well, I have known Boitano since 1985 and keep in contact with him fairly regularly. Phil Hersh has known him just as long and what he had to say in his article describes Boitano pretty accurately.

"When he accepted the invitation to join the U.S. presidential delegation to Sochi, he had to know that making his sexual orientation public would be part of the deal. In the months since Russia passed legislation barring expressions of support for gays and lesbians, he must have received countless requests for comment, as both a renowned Winter Olympian and an athlete widely believed to be gay.

"It isn't in Boitano's nature to call out the Russians or stir up conflict of any kind. By issuing a statement rather than giving an interview, he not only controlled the narrative, he avoided the discomfort of favoring one media outlet over another. In both respects, he was right. It isn't a scoop that he is gay, or information to compete for as a prize. It is only news because in 2013, he couldn't stay silent without bowing to bigotry and supporting the bastardization of an Olympic movement he holds dear."

TontoK · Dec 21, 2013

KKonas said:
Well, I have known Boitano since 1985 and keep in contact with him fairly regularly. Phil Hersh has known him just as long and what he had to say in his article describes Boitano pretty accurately.

"When he accepted the invitation to join the U.S. presidential delegation to Sochi, he had to know that making his sexual orientation public would be part of the deal. In the months since Russia passed legislation barring expressions of support for gays and lesbians, he must have received countless requests for comment, as both a renowned Winter Olympian and an athlete widely believed to be gay.

"It isn't in Boitano's nature to call out the Russians or stir up conflict of any kind. By issuing a statement rather than giving an interview, he not only controlled the narrative, he avoided the discomfort of favoring one media outlet over another. In both respects, he was right. It isn't a scoop that he is gay, or information to compete for as a prize. It is only news because in 2013, he couldn't stay silent without bowing to bigotry and supporting the bastardization of an Olympic movement he holds dear."

You know Brian personally, it sounds like... however, I'm a little unsettled by Hersh's sentence I've bolded.

Why would his coming out have to be part of being named to the delegation? I don't think he would have been any less a perfect fit had he chosen not to come out.

I'm not gay, so I'm sure there are things I'm missing... but my belief is that there must be many considerations that a gay person takes into account before deciding to come out. I hope Brian didn't feel pressured to come out as some part of a deal to represent our country.

He deserves the honor without any labels.

Tonichelle · Dec 21, 2013

I think he had to know that with the laws as they stand in Russia and the media's fixation in this country over Russia's laws that the subject would come up.

Dee4707 · Dec 21, 2013

Mathman said:
I wonder what Putin will do in retaliation -- make us take Snowden back?

Good one Larry!!

Brian Boitano announces he's gay before trip to Sochi

Mathman

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Mathman

Ven

Match Penalty

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Mathman

Ven

Match Penalty

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

TontoK

Hot Tonto

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

Olympia

WeakAnkles

drivingmissdaisy

wordsworthgirl

Jedi

Olympia

KKonas

TontoK

Hot Tonto

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin

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