Is “not family friendly enough” the new “too gay”?
That’s what GLAAD (Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) is asking after reports surfaced that Johnny Weir had been turned down to participate in the Stars on Ice for not being “family friendly enough” by the tours sponsors.
Weir confirmed the story to Access Hollywood, saying , “It is for real. I’ve never been invited to do ‘Stars on Ice‘ before, which is the only figure skating tour in the U.S., and it’s disappointing that I can’t perform for my American fans … all because I’m not ‘family friendly’ enough“.
The most idiotic thing about all this? Weir financially supports his family by putting his younger brother through college and supporting his father, who’s on disability. Not sure what some people would call that, but it seems pretty “family friendly” to me.
For their part, a spokesminion for Stars On Ice said in a desperate attempt at spin to avoid backlash, released statement, “We are disappointed that there is untrue and inaccurate information being disseminated. Please be assured that the ‘gender identity and sexual orientation’ of cast members has never been a consideration in the selection of tour performers. Stars on Ice’ recognizes Johnny Weir is a talented athlete and we appreciate the contributions he has made to the international figure skating community throughout his career. While ‘Stars on Ice’ wishes it could accommodate many more talented skaters as part of our cast, the fact is we cannot sign every skater.”
All this over someone’s perceived sexual orientation. Wier has never confirmed nor denied that he is gay (nor should he have to). What century are we in again?
