PyeongChang Olympics: Day 8 – Gay Politics Upstage Men’s Figure Skating... -The iPINIONS Journal

Men’s Figure Skating

Truth be told, I am commenting on this event only because of the politics.

It speaks volumes that Adam Rippon of the United States got more media coverage after snubbing US Vice President Mike Pence than Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan got after defending his title. That Hanyu became the first man to do so since 1952 compounded this media oversight … slight.

Never mind that he seemed to be competing for some of that coverage. Only this explains Hanyu embracing the cult-like worshippers of his queer attachment to Winnie-the-Pooh bears.

In any event, reports are that Pence offered to clarify his views on homosexuality after the openly gay Rippon accused him of being radically homophobic.

Rippon is referring to what he sees as the vice president’s past support of ‘gay conversion therapy.’ The vice president, an evangelical Christian, supported funding ‘institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior’ as part of his 2000 Senate campaign.

(Washington Post, February 12, 2018)

No doubt the only clarification Pence has to offer is the irreconcilable trope on which all evangelicals hang their homophobia. That, of course, is that they damn the sin of homosexuality but love the homosexual sinner.

At first, Rippon dismissed the vice president’s offer. But he later expressed a willingness to have “an open conversation.” This alone makes him a better man than Pence. Recall, after all, that Pence refused to exchange smiles, let alone express a willingness to discuss political differences, with the head of the North Korean delegation at the Opening Ceremony.

Interestingly enough, gay storylines figured prominently in Sochi too, where Hanyu won his first gold. Perhaps most interesting, though, is that the anti-gay villain back then was the host himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But Pence’s surliness made him an offending guest, who I denounced in my February 9 commentary above; whereas Putin’s politeness made him an endearing host, who I praised in “Sochi Olympics: Day 6,” February 13, 2014:

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Given all of the pre-Games furor about Russia’s anti-gay laws, some might be shocked by the thriving, openly gay spirit in Sochi. Nothing demonstrated this quite like President Vladimir Putin warmly embracing openly gay speedskater Ireen Wuest as he congratulated her on her gold medal win in the Women’s 3000.

Granted, macho-man Putin might’ve been thinking that just one hug from him would be enough to turn her straight. Whatever the case, I’ll be really impressed if he’s caught warmly embracing an openly gay male athlete.

Westerners are criticizing Putin for endorsing laws banning the promotion of ‘non-traditional lifestyles.’ But they are overlooking the inconvenient truth that he’s doing so for the same politically expedient reason Barack Obama endorsed laws defining marriage as strictly between a man and a woman, which he did during his first presidential campaign in 2008.

After all, if Putin were really concerned about the gay lifestyle influencing Russian culture he would’ve banned Men’s Figure Skating from his Sochi Games, no? Because what could be more gay than men skating around in sequins and tights looking like fairy queens on ice? Oh right, the comically homoerotic Men’s Double Luge. Things that make you go, hmmm. …

The likely gold medalist in this event is [Yuzuru Hanyu] a 19-year-old Japanese boy.

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Unfortunately, this was not a particularly exciting event. Which is why I have joined the media in showing more interest in Rippon snubbing Pence than in Hanyu winning gold.

Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan won gold; Shoma Uno of Japan, silver; and Javier Fernandez of Spain, bronze.

For all his talking and media coverage, Rippon managed only a 10^th place – behind his virtually ignored teammates Nathan Chen, who finished 5^th, and Vincent Zhou, 6^th.

Incidentally, this event occurred on Day 7. But it was upstaged by too many others for comment, not least the Women’s Super-G.

Men’s Ski Slopestyle

This was the only event I really enjoyed watching yesterday. Never mind that the media seemed more interested in showing us Gus Kenworthy of the United States kissing his boyfriend.

Kenworthy was the defending silver medalist in this event. But, like Rippon, he appeared to spend more time talking about gay politics than preparing for competition.

He was reportedly nursing lingering injuries. But it’s hard to imagine his extracurricular activity did not contribute to Kenworthy finishing dead last in this final.

Apropos of the event itself, I waxed awestruck enough in my Day 2 commentary on Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle. Competitors performed the same tricks – only on skis instead of snowboards.