Johnny Weir has responded after comments made questioning his gender and the example he sets for future skaters.
I thought his response showed a lot of class for a number of reasons. First of all, even though he was obviously offended by the comments made, he did not ask for an apology for himself. Rather, he wanted one for others who may have been hurt by these remarks. He also spoke of his belief in free speech, which, in my opinion, is what we call “taking the high road”. After all, it is hard to say that someone who speaks ill of us has every right to do so. I am proud of his reaction and think, contrary to belief by some, he has proven himself an excellent role model for future skaters. Bravo!
I end this with one final quote, which Weir shared during the press conference. “Out of ugly I think the most important thing to do in life is to make something beautiful.” If the world could follow this same philosophy, oh what a beautiful place that would be.