We’ve said over and over that our position on Johnny Weir is that he’s an openly gay man. And in conversations with Johnny, he hasn’t said we’re wrong. Thanks to an ESPN The Magazine article on Johnny Weir, Deadspin starts a new series in which they document “the sports media’s pained efforts to call the sexually undeclared figure skater gay without quite calling him gay.” And they have some key excerpts from the magazine article…
… too flamboyant [headline] … undisputed diva … fearlessly flamboyant stylist … photographed in a miniskirt and high heels … gender-bending flamboyance … strutting … dressed like David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane … in a bubble bath with a male friend … bright-purple tank top, plaid shorts and gold slippers … figure skating’s peacock … isn’t scrimping on the voguing … club-ready dance moves … Garbo-like poses
My favorite is still the bubble bath with his friend Paris. We hope you kick ass next month, Johnny!!
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 4:07 PM
I kind of agree with Outsports’ policy on this. Do journalists say that an athlete is straight? No, you just assume it. With Weir, you can assume what you want.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 8:19 PM
in a bubble bath with a male friend
Kind of like Birt and Ernie. Except they weren’t very flamboyant.
I really couldn’t care less how he does though.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 9:13 PM
If the article did say he’s gay, they’d be accused of outing him.
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 9:33 AM
I thought the rule in reporting was: you don’t call some one gay unless they have called themselves gay
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 6:35 PM
Let me get this ‘straight’ – so to speak.
One of Outsports’ missions seems to be proving that gay DOES NOT EQUAL flamboyant, effeminate, drama queenish, diva-esque (not sure those last two are even words. but you get the idea). But when confronted with a character who displays all of those traits and more, you seem eager to embrace him and call him gay. Want him to be gay?
The message I get is that you’re saying, being gay does not equal having the stereotypical the traits listed, but having the traits equals being gay?
While it’s a bit of a contradiction, I sort of “get it”, I guess.
on Jan 9th, 2010 at 7:46 PM
Johnny Weir is the best media story going in figure skating today. Between Johnny Weir VS Skate Canada, there is a potential for the biggest Gay story of any Olympic games, since Tom Waddell was sued from using the term Gay Olympics, in 1982.
Do you really think “skinny teenage girl wins medal” is going to get much media coverage, outside of the Country she is from? Come on people. The longer Johnny toys with it, the more coverage he gets, the more coverage figure skating gets. Once he declares, he becomes yesterdays news. Johnny knows how the media game is played. To bad the USFSA doesn’t.
on Jan 10th, 2010 at 12:23 AM
“Do you really think “skinny teenage girl wins medal” is going to get much media coverage, outside of the Country she is from?”
Yes. The women always have, and probably always will, get more media attention.
on Jan 15th, 2010 at 3:16 PM
I am so proud of Johnny Weir for having integrity. He doesn’t have to tell anyone about his personal life, because as he said, he doesn’t have one. That should be your clue. He doesn’t have one.
Johnny has a right to privacy like any other person in the world and if he does not want to tell you about his personal life, he doesn’t have to. It is none of your business. 
on Jan 30th, 2010 at 4:03 PM
Deborah – I’m always amazed at how it ranges from someone with “integrity” and “none of your business” to they need to quit lying to themselves and what disgrace to the lgbt community for not coming out when they have a chance to use their fame for such good…depends on how much you like said famous person.