Comments on: Olympic figure skater comes out

By: lkfglksnglelk

lkfglksnglelk — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:36:42 +0000

By: heather

heather — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:58:20 +0000

i love ice skating it rocks i am in the 10 basic at garner nc

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:29:09 +0000

Note to Nick: the “gay world” pressures conformity just as much as the “straight world,” if not more so.

By: dejah

dejah — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:01:47 +0000

As gay (or suspected gay) skaters go, Ryan is hardly effeminate–as if **figure skating** automatically makes a guy effeminate! You didn’t hear a lot about him in 2006 because he was largely overshadowed–on ice and off–by his partner, Jaime Silverstein.

Years ago, Silverstein was the next great hope, she and her partner Justin Pekarek (no, I didn’t spell that right) were magic on ice, the two most talented young ice dancers we had yet seen. When they broke up, the amazingly talented Justin was forced to retire because he could not find a partner and the equally talented Jaime Silverstein disappeared, rumored to be mysteriously ill (later revealed as anorexia).

Fans like me nearly wept to see Jaime back on ice, back lighting up the arena with that 10,000 watt smile, looking like she really loved skating again. Talented as O’Meara is, he was “the guy skating with Jamie Silverstein.” It’s hard NOT to be overshadowed in such a situation.

Anyway, as figure skating goes, O’Meara wasn’t flaming. He wasn’t even “flamboyant.” He was a talented, workmanlike skater. He stood up with one of the best young ice dancers of our time and he didn’t do half bad. Just because he’s a figure skater, doesn’t mean he’s effeminate.

I do wish that skaters would feel more free to come out while they are in their competitive years. But there’s more than the US to consider, there are judges from all over the world with their own prejudices and sometimes you need to fly under the gaydar if you can. It’s good strategy to keep your private life private.

After all, in figure skating, it’s the straight guys who have something to prove.

By: David

David — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:34:38 +0000

Noah, I am afraid it’s you that missed the point. I believe what Cyd is trying to say is that our community is just as diverse –within itself– as any community, and the greater community of humankind. We should celebrate that. This clearly is just an observation of Cyd’s …I don’t believe that this was a key point O’Meara was trying to make in coming out.

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:29:15 +0000

I, too, agree that people should be encouraged to flower in whatever form they are inclined to take. It is the straight world that pressures people to be a certain conformist way, and I applaud the opposite approach. I grew up a jock. I went through college on a full athletic scholarship. I was also deep in the closet the whole time. It is ironic to me that I envied the “flamers” in school, for whom the closet was not an option from their childhoods, in many cases. No one ever suspected me, except some of my closest friends, who also felt it was important to keep it hidden. So, to me conformism is the enemy. It held me back, because it was easier. But it is not the path to happiness.

By: Asher

Asher — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:06:48 +0000

Noah,

No one said anything about Ryan being effeminate–YOU brought that into the conversation. So WHO exactly is buying into stereotypes now?

And remember, stereotypes exist because more than a random sampling of us fit them: I myself am a slightly swishy (amateur level) ice dancer! (But I can’t decorate for shit, so that stereotype doesn’t work!)

Asher

By: Linda

Linda — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:52:14 +0000

Noah,

I don’t think that is the case, he is just stating the obvious, and emphasizing how to be an athlete you don’t have to necessarily fit the gay jock stereotype. I thought it was a rather brilliant observation.

By: noah

noah — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:20:38 +0000

Cyd,

You jerk: “…Then there are athletes like O’Meara who reinforce them”?

What the hell? Why would you just insult this man? So, what if he wants to be an interior designer or is effeminate. Your left-handed compliment reflects the grotesque, hypocritical view that there is a problem with not being “straight-acting.”

If you told an African-American, I think it’s great that you like to play basketball, you would be deserving of strong verbal tongue lashing if not worse, you bigoted jerk. The point is that O’Meara and the hypothetical African-American are both human beings who should not have to be concerned with living their lives to make YOU feel comfortable.

Jeez, somehow, I think my whole point is going go over your head.