As we all know, the Winter Olympics 2010 has just taken place in Vancouver, Canada (thanks to the endless news broadcasts and internet updates). There are various controversial events with an international, or just any, broadcasted event. One that stood out in particular was the controversy surrounding American male figure skater, Johnny Weir.

Weir is a homosexual male figure skater in the Olympics, who was scored lower for his sexual preferences. He was placed 5th in the short program and 6th in the long program, despite stellar performances both times. Along with what appeared to be unfair, biased judging, two Canadian broadcasters, Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg, of the RDA network, made Weir the target of their unnecesssary, homophobic remarks.

“This may not be politically correct, but do you think he lost points due to his costume and his body language?” questioned Mailhot.

Goldberg stated that Weir's exaggerated style takes the “muscle out of male skating” and “damage the sport.”

“[Because of Weir,] they'll think all the boys who skate will end up like him,” said Goldberg, “It sets a bad example... we should make him pass a gender test at this point.”

Then Mailhot and Golberg joked that Weir, a three-time U.S. national figure skating competitor, should compete in the women's competition.

Obviously the broadcaster's ignorant remarks earned them plenty of complaints worldwide, especially from the Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians who demanded a formal apology, as the Canadians weren't critiquing his performance, they were criticizing him as a person.

Some people may see Weir as a flamboyant (a word very, very frequently used to describe Weir) diva, or even Lady Gaga on ice (especially after his Pokerface performance in Korea). However Weir is like any other figure skater on the ice, and whatever his sexual preferences may be, they don't have anything to do with his sport. It seems as if the only thing all the people watching the Olympics can focus on is Weir's lifestyle choices off the ice. Why is this, when the whole reason he's on TV is for people to watch his figure skating?

Honestly, all I've got to say is “what the hell?!” Do these swine's heads/bigots think we're still in the 19th century? Homosexuality is open and everywhere; they need to open up their hidebound eyes, get their minds out of their asses, and get used to how the world is changing- for the better I might add. Homophobes piss me off, what gives them the right to judge how a person should be able to live?

Some people might say that figure skating isn't a real sport, or even a gay sport. Though I don't agree with this, because figure skating, like any other sport, requires enormous focus, skill, and training; it makes me wonder why people call Weir 'too gay' for figure skating, when they consider figure skating itself a gay sport. Does this make a smidgen/ any bit of sense to anyone??

Despite how the media seems to not acknowledge Weir as a serious male figure skater- never using the term 'athlete' to describe him, only 'flamboyant', 'controversial', and 'always outspoken'- I believe that he's real; he's just being himself and nobody can change that. He's a role model for a lot of young people, those with sense, who know that the world is going to change soon.

“Every little boy should be so lucky as to turn into me," Weir said, “And that's all I have to say.”