It’s unfortunate that this is happening because all these athletes have worked so hard, no matter what your sexual preference is. They have worked their entire lives for this moment, it doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight… Growing up in skating, [meeting gay people] is so commonplace… I do have my opinions on it, but at the same time, the bigger story is the athletes. For me, it’s sad.”
— U.S. figure skater Tara Lipinski weighing in on Russia’s barbaric “gay propaganda” law (and hopefully not intending to sound so insensitive) during an interview with HuffPo
Louis
My heart truly aches for these privileged heterosexuals worrying about whether they will get a medal or not.
Whilst LGBT Americans are ostracized condemned bashed physically assaulted murdered silenced persecuted against discriminated against.
Yeah these athletes sure have it so hard poor them.
CCTR
@Louis: I think you are missing her point or didn’t take the time to read or comprehend the quote.
Cam
Funny, those gay people have been gay their entire lives as well. But you know, I guess that doesn’t matter as long as mommy and daddy’s investment pays off and you can get some sweet endorsements with your Silver medal does it?
victorginori
@CCTR: I think he understood it better than you.
redcarpet
Awww, poor babies can’t go ice skating and skiing without controversy. Sooooooo sad! Much cry. Lots violin playing.
Caleb in SC
I’m sad Tara Lipinski is no longer relevant.
Shanestud
Miss Lipinski might want to consider history that for two weeks in August 1936, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship camouflaged its racist, militaristic character while hosting the Summer Olympics. Soft-pedaling its antisemitic agenda and plans for territorial expansion, the regime exploited the Games to bedazzle many foreign spectators and journalists with an image of a peaceful, tolerant Germany.
Having rejected a proposed boycott of the 1936 Olympics, the United States and other western democracies missed the opportunity to take a stand that — some observers at the time claimed — might have given Hitler pause and bolstered international resistance to Nazi tyranny. With the conclusion of the Games, Germany’s expansionist policies and the persecution of Jews and other “enemies of the state” accelerated, culminating in World War II and the Holocaust.
Perhaps Tara in 1936 would have been sad for the all the Olympic athletes when concerns about antisemitism and Nazi repression were overshadowing their right to earn gold medals.
Stefano
It is like me ! I work so hard to produce bombs…it is so sad when we have peace. 🙁 LOL
CCTR
@victorginori: I took it to mean that there shouldn’t even be a such a thing as these Russian anti-gay laws and that it is very unfortunate that they are overshadowing the hard work of gay and straight athletes alike. A big part of the Olympics are the athletes.
I didn’t know the Gay Rights issues overshadowing the Olympics were laws that persecuted only LGBT in America, nor that all Olympic athletes were privileged heterosexuals worrying about winning a medal.
Maybe you are correct maybe I misunderstood.
Louis
@CCTR: What point was I supposed too miss?
It is so tiring seeing these people constantly claim this is overshadowing the Olympics that’s all fine and good I used too actually watch the Olympics but when it comes down too it these people are competing for a MEDAL for their country period.
While at the same time open your eyes and look at whats going on in Russia I don’t support the Olympics this year in any capacity I have my integrity im not about too support it when they were stupid enough too have it take place in Russia too begin with.
Tara is another one of those self absorbed heterosexuals who could care less about whats going on in the rest of the world only focusing on their needs their rights and their wants period.
Russia needs too change its cruel archaic narrowminded beyond disrespectful and atrocious attitude and treatment of their LGBT citizens and Tara actually reminds me of that self absorbed hypocrite Johnny Weir someone who also is only concerned about how it benefits THEM not the horrible things that are happening right now in Russia too our LGBT brothers and sisters.
I didn’t insult you either so show me the same respect.
Jonty Coppersmith
Yeah Tara it is sad, but you know what? It is much sadder for LGBT Russians than it is for the athletes who might be overshadowed by this story. The thing is that anyone who goes there to participate, spectate, commentate or any other kind of “tate” who doesn’t openly oppose this law is complicit in the oppression of innocent human beings.
Louis
@Jonty Coppersmith: Bravo someone finally hit that proverbial nail on the head the silent pink elephant in the room.
Stefano
@jonty Coppersmith : you are right. Like we say in French : “Qui ne dit mot consent” (silent means consent).
CCTR
@Louis: I wasn’t trying to be insulting, but my comment did come across as an attack on you. My apologies.
I try to look at quotes like hers, which I perceive to be honest with a bit more understanding and compassion for the person making them. I do agree with you that the plight of LGBT citizens particularly in Russia is much more dire and serious than a sporting event and winning a medal. I felt she was giving us her perspective. As you stated, it reminded you of self absorbed hypocritical Johnny Weir. I guess I was taking her comments as hers alone.
The point I thought you missed was that just because she talks about the hard work she and others have put into their careers, and state that it is unfortunate that the Olympics as a whole are being overshadowed by “cruel archaic narrowminded” Russian attitudes doesn’t mean she condones that attitude. Nor does this mean that we should not try to understand these athletes point of view.
So we understand and look at it differently.
Thanks for your response…I appreciate it
Sauja32
Of course the laws against gay Russians are worse than the disappointment of athletes who aren’t getting their chance to shine. But she’s not weighing one against the other. If you work for years to achieve something and it ends up being overwhelmed by a political clusterfuck, that’s disappointing. And that isn’t the athletes’ fault. They could be 100% against the laws, be allies or gays or activists fighting against the laws. Doesn’t change the fact that they put an enormous amount of time and dedication into their sport for an event that happens every four years, and that’s being overshadowed. I think that people can acknowledge that as sad without being terrible people who don’t place it appropriately on the sadness scale.
Charlie in Charge
@Louis: Are you willing to give up your career to fight these awful laws in Russia? You seem to want these athletes to do so.
CCTR
@Sauja32: Thanks! That’s what I was struggling to articulate 🙂
SteveDenver
Too bad she doesn’t have the maturity to lament the STUPID VICIOUS LAWS that are causing this situation. She almost sounds like a petty spoiled bitch, but I’m sure she didn’t mean to.
MikeE
@Charlie in Charge: The athletes’ careers are not entirely based upon participating in the olympics. Get your head out of the sand.
An athlete not attending an olympic event is like a door-to-door salesman not ringing a particular doorbell because he knows that person is a murderer. Sure, he loses one sale. But there are plenty of other competitions, every year. The olympics is not the be all and end all of athletic competition.
Stefano
@MikeE : you are absolutely right. And you know, the way Charlie in Charge, CCTR and Sauja32 think is the reason why corruption grows in some compagnies and some Countries. We call them in French : “collaborateurs”. They think that only their personnal efforts are relevant.
sportyguy1983
Just like I don’t care what Chris Kluwe has to say about issues, I don’t care what Tara Lipinski has to say.
TerrenM
@Louis: I also think Louis got it right on the mark. And am loving your comments on all these stories.
Garth
@CCTR: I agree
Tookietookie123
What point of, human rights > Olympic medal, do people not understand? People have messed up priorities.
Zekester
@CCTR: Actually I think it’s you who didn’t read or comprehend the quote.
Jonty Coppersmith
@Stefano:
Ah oui vraiment- dis moi “oui”, dis moi “non”, dis moi “merde”, mais dis moi quelquechose!
Zekester
@CCTR: I honestly think you are misunderstand what she is saying she’s upset about. She’s not saying that she’s upset that the anti-gay laws are overshadowing the Olympics but rather she’s upset that the CONTROVERSY over the laws is overshadowing the Olympics. She’s basically saying that she wishes people would stop making a fuss about the laws so that the athletes can enjoy the Olympics without the controversy and distraction. Her issue should be with the IOC for placing the Olympics in Russia however she never so much as insinuates that the Russian law or the Russian government or the IOC are the problem.
I think you are bending over backwards to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Stefano
@Jonty Coppersmith : oui oui vraiment. Merci de faire un effort pour m’écrire en français. J’apprécie. Merci beaucoup. 🙂
Jonty Coppersmith
@Stefano:
Je regrette de ne pas savoir faire tous les accents. Il y a plus de trentes annees que je n’ai pas parler un seul mot de francais. Nous avons une rare nuit neigeuse, et maintenant je pars pour un diner des sandwhiches au fromage grille et de la consummee de tomates.
Bon soir.
jar
Has Lipinski decided to up the ante to now add that not only should the athletes be permitted to compete (fine), but that they are somehow shortchanged by competing in a political environment? She takes the narcissism a step further than even Weir. Would it also be “sad” if a natural disaster diverted attention away from the Olympics as well? She has not done herself or the Olympics any favors with this comment. And I would not be surprised if she were thrown a little money by USOC, NBC and the sponsors for this comment as they continue to scramble to save their investments from public opposition.
CCTR
@Zekester:LOL “I think you are bending over backwards to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
You are right I am trying desperately hard to defend her and her position. I throw in the towel.
Kangol
I stopped at “sexual preference.” What an idiot this woman is. People in Russia are being persecuted because of their SEXUAL ORIENTATION, yet this dummkopf talks about “preference.”
She can fly right across the ice straight to hell.
DarkZephyr
@CCTR: I WATCHED the interview and came away feeling very disappointed in her insensitivity. I was somewhat ok with what she was saying til she said “the bigger story is the athletes”. A sporting competition is a bigger story than LGBT people being tortured to death by having bottles shoved into their bodies? C’mon.
Warner27
Tara, you are SO right. Sport is ALWAYS more important than human rights. Thanks for setting our misguided thoughts right on this issue!
Louis
@Charlie in Charge: No ones asking anyone too sacrifice their careers but there is something called integrity as human beings after all.
Louis
@TerrenM: Ty kindly I always speak from the heart if I see something wrong I cant help but speak up against it that’s how ive always been.
Louis
@CCTR: Agreed and no harm done that’s actually one of the most civil discussions ive had with someone in a while so I ty for that it was refreshing for a change.
Cam
What probably happened is this.
The IOC told Johnny Weir to go out and defend them since he is gay. There was a backlash, so now they probably told Lipinski to do it thinking that maybe she is less “Controversial” or that gays wouldn’t mind as much since she is straight.
Either way, I’m sorry, but when I am asked to have sympathy, my vote will always go to the people arrested and beaten for just trying to live, rather than the ones who have one less event to fly to this year with their private coaches and their entourage.
HankBenson
“…the bigger story is the athletes.”
Really? I guess she’s never heard of “sportsmanship”.
nevereclipsed81
I love figure skating, there are a lot of great youtube videos from Russian skaters and I don’t hold their idiotic government against them. I have to say I’m kind of rooting for Evgeni Plushenko because he’s so fabulous, unless he says something anti gay, I’m thinking that’s 50/50 since Russia pretty much owns him. Either way I’ll be watching that portion of the Olympics, it’s by far my favorite Olympic sport. But there’s no getting around the fact that the anti gay stuff sucks.
mikeysexc
Whats sad is that the Olympic Committee was not willing to put its foot down… they should not hold these events at places that people can seek exile from by UN standards
mikeysexc
I respect the athletes and all that, but im not going to watch a bigoted sports event that doesn’t support equality with two faced corporate sponsors and the like